The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 16 Sep, 2025

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area EU Affairs

Period 1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025

Specific Details Amendments to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Regulation (EU) 2021/2115

Intended results To seek the following amendments to articles 13, 14, 16 and 2 To propose that providing exemptions from GAECs should be established not only for organic farmers but also for those farmers involved in other sustainable production methods (e.g. integrated farming) and where governance structures exist. This would lead to making conditionality simpler for a broader category of farmers for the remaining years of CAP. That the 2-crop rule needs to be removed entirely as it is driving an exodus of smaller growers away from the tillage sector. The requirement for 3 crops should kick in at 50 hectares and above. That without seeking to undermine existing legal obligations or inherent need for respect of employment and labour conditions, farmers should not be subject to double penalties under the CAP and through national legislation were non-compliance to occur. This should be removed. That social policy remains a competence of Member States with its own specific and reliable penalty system, and it should stay at that level. That without additional funding, creating new interventions under the current financial framework would have a detrimental impact on BISS for the remaining of the current CAP, which we would strongly oppose. That the agricultural reserve should continue to provide support for farmers experiencing natural disasters, adverse climatic events or catastrophic events as these are exceptional in nature. That regarding CAP data interoperability, there is a need for more clarity when it comes to how individual data protection would be safeguarded and how one can avoid that data is misused.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Liam MacHale IFA Director of European Affairs, Noel Banville IFA European Policy Executive

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Submission (2-5)

Meeting (1)

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Aindrias Moynihan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Cowen MEP (European Parliament)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Ciaran Mullooly MEP (European Parliament)

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP (European Parliament)

Kathleen Funchion MEP (European Parliament)

Kieran O'Donnell Minister of State (Department of Health)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Lynn Boylan MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Martin Heydon Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Michael McNamara MEP (European Parliament)

Michael Moynihan Minister of State (Department of Education)

Nina Carberry MEP (European Parliament)

Noel Grealish Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Norma Foley Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Regina Doherty MEP (European Parliament)

Sean Canney Minister of State (Department of Transport)

Sean Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Timmy Dooley Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)