Ciarán Mullooly: Defending Family Farms in CAP Reform
MEP Ciarán Mullooly addressed the proposed post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy and questioned how convergence and digressivity will be applied. He welcomed the European Economic and Social Committee opinion and insisted the CAP must remain focused on food production and food security.
Clarification on convergence and digressivity. Mullooly asked for detail on the proposed minimum threshold of €5,000 and the maximum ceiling of €100,000, and whether those limits are based on production or on the amount of land farmed. He pressed for answers to ensure the measures are applied fairly across different farming systems.
Protecting family farms. The MEP warned that reforms must not undermine viable family farms and argued support should first go to those who need it most. He stressed the guiding principle of the CAP is food production and food security, and called for implementation that reflects diverse farm sizes and models.
Context and implications. Mullooly welcomed the work of Joe Healey and the EESC but urged colleagues to listen to repeated calls for a return to a two-pillar system and a clear focus on food security. The questions raised will shape debates on how post-2027 CAP payments are structured and who benefits.
Next steps. The address underscores the need for clearer legislative detail as the EU negotiates post-2027 CAP arrangements, particularly around payment ceilings and thresholds. Mullooly emphasised fairness and the protection of family farms as central considerations moving forward.
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Thank you, Chair, and thank you to Joe Healey of the European Economic and Social Committee for the work that's been done on this. I welcome your opinion on a number of aspects of the proposed post-2027 cap, and indeed, like yourself, I fully support the principle that the Common Agricultural Policy was, is, and must remain a policy focused on food production and food security. We all want the two-pillar system back. How many times do we have to say it around this room, around this building, before somebody's going to listen to us? Because at the end of the day, this is the foundation of the cap, and it must remain so going forward. A couple of questions on a very detailed paper. On convergence on digressivity, while I understand the case for reducing cap payments at the higher end, we've heard it before, I would welcome clarification on the proposed minimum threshold of €5,000, alongside the maximum ceiling of €100,000. Is this approach based on production, or on the amount of land owned or farmed by the farmer involved? One wonders. At a time when the Agricultural Policy is under pressure, Chair, and when we're trying to protect the family farm model across the European Union, I believe this must be implemented in a way that's fair and reflects different farming systems, and does not undermine viable family farms, regardless of their size. And above all, the guiding principle must be that support goes first to those who need it most. Thank you.
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