Midlands Northwest MEP Nina Carberry met this week with President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, for a one-to-one discussion focussed on her key priorities, as the Fine Gael politician nears the completion of her first year in office.
Carberry, Ireland’s only member of the Parliament’s Budget Committee reaffirmed to Metsola that her central priority is the ring-fencing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the next long term EU Budget.
“We must ensure that farmers can continue to count on stability and predictability in this area”, Carberry said.
Earlier this year, the Fine Gael MEP tabled a series of amendments to a European Parliament report, highlighting the need to encourage generational renewal, prioritise food security and regional development.
During the meeting, Carberry urged Metsola to uphold the Parliament’s position of protecting and increasing the CAP budget. She warned that simplification must not come at the expense of reduced funding.
She further stressed the crucial importance of the Parliament’s President working closely with the Irish Government and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, who is set to chair the EU Council of Agricultural Ministers in the second half of 2026.
Both Carberry and Metsola are members of the same political family, the European People’s Party (EPP), which remains the largest and most influential group in shaping the next CAP.
Separately, speaking after the meeting, Carberry again reiterated her strong opposition to leaked Commission proposals suggesting a merger of farm and regional development funds into a single national pot, saying such a move would “undermine targeted agricultural supports”.
The European Commission is due to publish its proposals on the next CAP and long term EU Budget on 16 July.