Fine Gael MEP Nina Carberry has pledged to push for the CAP receiving a larger share of the next EU budget after taking a seat in the European Parliament’s budget committee.

The Midlands Northwest MEP stated that debates have already kicked off on the next EU budgetary period, which will run from 2028 to 2034.

It is expected that the European Commission will not unveil its initial plans for this budgeting period for another two years.

Carberry commented that a larger budget is needed to support EU farming through uncertainties and high input costs.

Comprehensive

“The EU's CAP is one of the world's most comprehensive farming subsidy programmes, valued at €270bn, which is around one-third of the EU budget,” she said.

“But the CAP budget has been stretched thin over the past two years in particular, due to surging costs of key inputs like fertilisers and feed and rampant inflation.”

The MEP called for food security concerns and funding for unforeseen crises to be factored into the next CAP’s budget.

"It is now time for a bigger and stronger CAP budget to guarantee food security, along with the viability of farming and rural communities.

“The next CAP budget must be enhanced to equip farmers with better crisis management tools for future challenges.

"I will be making sure that, over the course of the next year and beyond, the voice of Irish farmers will be heard in the hallways of Brussels.”

The next budget must also provide for the funding of more sustainability measures, greater resilience and new technologies to leave farmers better equipped in the long term, Carberry said.

“We need to support our farmers not just to survive, but to thrive in a rapidly changing global environment."