News · CAP post-2027
CAP proposal updated following EU budget announcement
We've updated our post-2027 CAP submission after the European Commission proposed its 2028–2034 EU Budget — which sets out a substantially smaller CAP than farmers were expecting. Here's what changed, what didn't, and why it matters.
What changed
The Commission has proposed cutting the EU's ring-fenced farm-income envelope by roughly a quarter in cash terms. For Ireland, that pulls the direct-payments pot from about €1.2 billion a year to roughly €900 million. Our submission now revises its funding assumptions to match: the coupled pot for the beef and land-transfer payments falls from about €207 million to roughly €160–170 million a year, and the payment rates come down by about a fifth to fit.
What stayed the same
Every principle. The payment was always designed as a share of the available budget, not a fixed euro promise — so a smaller budget means a smaller cheque per head, never an unfunded one. Double on the first 25 cows, standard to 100, capped above; reward quality over headage; a grass-finished bonus; and an early retirement package to free up land. None of that moves.
Why it matters
When there's less money to go around, spreading it thin and flat is the one thing you can't afford — you have to aim it. A flat, across-the-board cut would fall hardest on the small suckler farmer, who leans on the payment most. Front-loading the first 25 cows shields that farmer first. The cut doesn't sink the plan; it makes the case for it.
The original June 2026 version is kept as part of the public record — read it here.