A Clare-based Member of the European Parliament fears the European Commission is underestimating the importance of agriculture and food security, warning that a price will be paid down the line.
Events for the Irish Presidency of the EU have moved to Cork today, with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her team of Commissioners visiting UCC over the next two days.
For the next six months, Ireland is at the centre of European decision-making as it holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time since 2013.
The Government says its priorities will be competitiveness, values and security, but it also inherits some of the biggest challenges facing Europe.
These include negotiating the EU’s next long-term budget and the future of farm payments, trade tensions, defence and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Tulla-based Fianna Fáil Minister of State, Timmy Dooley, says while a number of countries want to see a move from spending on agriculture to security and defence, CAP remains a priority for the Irish Government.
A Clare-based Member of European Parliament believe a price will be paid down the line for underestimating the importance of food security.
Michael McNamara says CAP was designed to ensure a plentiful supply of affordable food, and while food prices have risen, the proportion of the household budget spent on food is far lower than when it was introduced.
The Scariff-based MEP fears there can be a tendency to take that for granted.
Listen here:
