Minister Heydon to attend Informal AgriFish Council meeting in Copenhagen
- Published on: 7 September 2025
- Last updated on: 23 September 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, will today travel to Copenhagen to represent Ireland at the Informal meeting of the AgriFish Council under the Danish EU Presidency.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister Heydon said:
“This meeting provides a timely opportunity to engage with my EU counterparts in the context of the proposals published by the Commission in July for the next EU Budget (MFF) and CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) post-2027. Those proposals are just the starting point in a lengthy negotiating process.
“My priorities for the next CAP remain unchanged: a CAP that is more straightforward for farmers; more flexible and responsive; with an appropriate balance between economic, social and environmental sustainability; and with an adequate budget for an effective CAP.”
Minister Heydon will also have a bilateral meeting with Stefan Krajewski, the new Polish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Rural Development, with topics for discussion to include the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement.
The Minister said:
“The Irish position on Mercosur is well known - along with the Tánaiste who has lead responsibility for trade policy, I have actively engaged with both the European Commission and with Agriculture Ministers across the EU to voice Ireland’s concerns. I have repeatedly emphasised that beef is a very sensitive sector which is vulnerable to negative impacts from the Mercosur Agreement. I am keen to understand the response of Poland and other like-minded Member States to the Commission’s recent proposals for ratification of the agreement.”
The Programme for the Informal Council meeting is framed around innovation, competitiveness and accelerating the green transition of the EU agri-food sector. The recently published MFF proposals for the EU Budget from 2028 – 2034, including the proposal for the next reform of the CAP, will also be a key focus for Ministers attending.