ICMSA say EU Commission’s just published ‘Simplification Agenda’ is unconvincing and unfunded

Commenting on today’s (May 14) publication of EU Commission’s proposals to simplify the CAP, the President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, said that the proposals are unconvincing and while they may involve some minor improvements for some farmers, the overall ‘regulatory tide’ shows no sign of easing. Mr. Drennan said that just so far this year, farmers had seen new regulations around changes on veterinary medicines and changes to the Nitrates Regulations, while the new regulations on EU Deforestation are due for implementation later this year.

“There’s no real confidence in the Commission on this drive for simplification. We’ve seen and heard it all before and so far from the issues being simplified, they become steadily more cumbersome and complex year-on-year”, said Mr. Drennan, who specified the EU Deforestation Regulations as a perfect example of ‘talking’ about simplification, while ‘acting’ to make things ever more complex. “There were and are several alternatives to the EUFR which were pointed out to both to the Department of Agriculture and the Commission. It’s made no difference, and we are going with yet another raft of new regulations around forestry and livestock”, said the ICMSA President.

In relation to the specific proposals, Mr. Drennan said that the EU Commission should publish the basis for the €1.58 billion savings for EU farmers which, he noted, averages €173 per EU farmer and is insignificant set against the cost of compliance borne by farmers on an annual basis.    

The other key matter picked up on by the ICMSA President involved the fact that three of the EU Commission proposals seemed to require additional funding. Where, asked Mr. Drennan, was the additional funding to fund these measures?

“Is there new funding for these ‘simplification’ proposals or is this the old and discredited ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ strategy which has left the CAP – as it stands now and without any new proposals – chronically underfunded and sliding into irrelevance?  It’s a very simple question: how are these measures going to be funded?” asked the ICMSA President.  

Mr. Drennan also noted the proposal committing to ‘only one on-the-spot check per farm per year per farm’ and described it as bizarre.  “No farmer should have more than one inspection per year in any case and the fact that it is in the proposals shows the absolutely ridiculous system that is currently in place and the inefficiencies in the system”, he said.

The ICMSA President said he was happy to acknowledge any efforts being made by the relevant Commissioner in relation to simplification. But he said that to date – and including today’s announcement – farmers had seen little or no benefit and other sections of the EU Commission continue to load regulations on farmers.  He said there was no point in one arm of the Commission trying to simplify while others continued to make farming more and more complex.

“The EU Commission as a simple complete entity, not just DG Agriculture, needs to come together and simplify the regulations while still meeting their requirements.  It’s possible and must be carried through.   We have overloaded the levels of regulations on farmers on regulation and the reduction in food production across the EU is clear evidence of this. We need real simplification, not tokenism”, concluded Mr. Drennan.

Ends     14 May 2025

Denis Drennan, 086-8389401

President, ICMSA.

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office