Press release
McConalogue consults the Monitoring Committee on the 3rd Amendment of the CAP Strategic Plan
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D, has confirm that consultation on the third amendment of the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) has now commenced with the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 Monitoring Committee.
Announcing the consultation process, Minister McConalogue stated,
“This is the third time since the launch in 2023 that we have adjusted the CAP Strategic Plan, making incremental improvements for the farmers in CAP schemes. While many of the changes in the amendment are minor and technical in nature, there are two changes to schemes for farmers in 2024. In Dairy Beef Welfare, a new scheme for 2024, I have increased the maximum number of eligible animals from 40 to 50, and also increased the maximum possible payment from €800 to €1,000 per year. For Protein Aid, I have increased the ceiling from €7million to €10million, following the big increase in interest in that scheme in recent years.”
Coupled Income Support for Protein Aid, commonly known as the Protein Aid Scheme, will have its financial ceiling increased from €7million to €10million each year. The scheme has proven very popular with farmers, and targets an increased area of protein crops grown each year, reducing our reliance on imported produce and improving our carbon footprint. The benefits of protein crops as a nitrogen fixing crop for reducing fertiliser use and improving soil health are well documented. Protein crops are very suitable for the Irish climate, and an increased area growing protein crops also reduces the industry’s reliance on imported protein.
Concluding, the Minister said,
“The amendment is now being referred to the CAP Strategic Plan Monitoring Committee for consideration, and will be submitted to the European Commission for its approval in June. Further announcements on the CSP, including information about the uptake for the 2024 scheme year, will be made in the coming weeks following consultation with the Monitoring Committee and agreement on the amendment with the European Commission.”
ENDS
Composition and Role of the CSP Monitoring Committee
The CSP Monitoring Committee is made up of stakeholders from across the agricultural and public sector. The Monitoring Committee consists of partners including climate, environmental, economic, and social partners as well as bodies responsible for promotion of social inclusion, fundamental rights, gender equality and non-discrimination. It includes representatives from farm bodies, environmental NGOs, government departments, agencies, local government and education & research bodies.
The Monitoring Committee’s role is to monitor the implementation of the CAP Strategic Plan, and give feedback on the annual performance reports, evaluation plan, and any amendments to the Plan. It is also informed on the communications for the CSP, any issues affecting CSP performance and measures to address these, the activities of the CAP Network, the ex-ante assessment and progress on evaluation activities. The Monitoring Committee meets at least once a year, and is regularly consulted either in person, or using written procedure.
More information on the formation of the Monitoring Committee and the membership may be found here.