Strong signal from EU Parliament on agricultural policy 'must not be ignored' - Cowen

James Cox

The European Parliament has sent a "serious signal" to the European Commission on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), according to Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen.

MEPs voted overwhelming in favour of the Agriculture Committee’s own-initiative report on the future of farming and the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the report was adopted by 393 votes to 145 and 123 abstentions.

The report, led by Spanish European People’s Party MEP Carmen Crespo Díaz, sets out the Parliament’s political priorities ahead of upcoming negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and next CAP post-2027.

Fianna Fáil MEP for Midlands North-West Barry Cowen, a member of the agricultural committee, served as lead negotiator for the Renew Europe group on the report.

In preparing for negotiations around the report, Mr Cowen engaged with hundreds of stakeholders across Europe and published his own position paper in May.

Mr Cowen welcomed the text, and said many of his proposals - paritcularly on food security, environmental rewards and simplification - had been included.

He added that while the Commission’s recent proposals to cut the CAP budget by around 20 per cent and remove its standalone status were disappointing, they are only a starting point.

Key elements of the report

Defence of CAP budget and two-pillar structure

Central to the report is a defence of the CAP’s current ring-fenced budget and two-pillar structure, and a demand that food security be treated as a pillar of Europe’s strategic autonomy. This directly challenges the Commission’s current MFF proposal, which would slash the CAP budget by approximately 20 per cent. The text stresses that the CAP must remain a standalone EU policy and not be folded into broader national funding envelopes, as is being touted by the Commission.

Review of the Nitrates Directive

The report calls for a review of the Nitrates Directive to bring it into line with the latest scientific evidence on the safe use of processed manure products, including RENURE, and to ensure best agricultural practice is supported rather than penalised. Inclusion of this point was a priority for Mr Cowen.

He said it is of particular significance to Ireland – with the country’s Nitrates Derogation due to expire at the end of 2025.

Cutting red tape and promoting generational renewal

The report also presses for a clearer approach to generational renewal and continued support for part-time and small-scale farmers. The text also outlines the need for urgent simplification and reduced bureaucracy, including a CAP “one-stop-shop” to address farmer concerns raised in recent protests across Europe. It insists that farm-level impact assessments must be carried out before introducing new obligations.

Speaking ahead of the vote at midday, Mr Cowen said “The Commission would be wise to treat today’s vote on the AGRI Committee’s report, which received overwhelming support, as a serious signal – both of what Parliament wants and what farmers expect. This vote will send a clear message to the Commission ahead of its upcoming MFF and CAP negotiations: agriculture is not a footnote to Europe’s security – it’s central to it. If we are going to ask for more from our farmers, we must match that with meaningful support.

“The message we’re delivering to the Commission is clear: farmers across Europe are demanding fairness, certainty and respect – and this report reflects that. A properly funded, ring-fenced CAP must be the foundation of Europe’s food and rural policy, not a bargaining chip in budget negotiations. Farmers from across Europe, including Ireland, have protested for a reason – and today, the Parliament stands with them."