Agricultural graduates discuss farming post 2013 in Brussels (19/2/09)
February 19, 2009 at 5:50 pm Leave a comment
The future for Irish farmers when the Common Agricultural Policy comes up for renewal in 2013 was the hot topic this week when a group of Irish agricultural graduates met with key EU politicians in Brussels. Members of the Leinster branch of the Agricultural Science Association enjoyed two packed days of briefings with policy-makers at the European Parliament and Commission, and took the opportunity to air their own views during meetings with Agricultural Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel and Irish MEPs. The ASA is a negotiating body representing graduates in food, forestry, horticulture and environmental sciences as well as in agriculture. ASA spokesperson Elaine Farrell said the Brussels trip was ‘a fascinating glimpse into the workings of the institutions that will decide farming policies over the next five or six years.’ ‘Obviously the important thing for Ireland is to retain our national envelope of EU agricultural funding post 2013. But we also discussed the abolition of milk quotas, rural development and the issue of food traceability,’ said Ms Farrell. Ireland East MEP Liam Aylward said the meetings gave him an insight into ‘the most contentious issues’ affecting the farming sector. He expressed the hope that Ireland’s continued commitment to the EU would allow us ‘a leading role’ in the CAP negotiations ahead of 2013.
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