MEP Maria Walsh has published the European Parliament’s draft report on Generational Renewal in Agriculture which calls for 10 % of the post-2027 CAP budget to be ring-fenced for young farmers.
Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh is the Parliament’s lead negotiator on the report on Generational Renewal in Agriculture which acts as a blueprint for the next decade of the EU’s farming policy.
The report calls for increased CAP funding for young farmers, easier access to land and expansion of land mobility schemes, better access to finance and banking supports, more ambitious support for female farmers, longer time frames for EU funding schemes to better match the investment horizon, and expansion of farm succession support across EU Member States.
MEP Walsh will present the report in front of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee next Tuesday 2nd June 2026.
MEP Maria Walsh, a full member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said:
“I’m honoured to serve as the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on generational renewal, giving me the opportunity to shape the future of EU farming policy while ensuring the voice of Irish farmers is at the heart of these discussions.
“Let us be in no doubt that the Irish and European agricultural sectors are facing a generational crisis. In Ireland, the average age of a farmer is 58 years old while the number of farmers under the age of 35 has halved over the past 20 years.
“Over the past month, I have worked on writing my draft report on Generational Renewal in Agriculture with the support of the Irish agricultural and academic sectors. I consulted over 20 Irish stakeholders, including all farm organisations, universities, Horizon funded projects, as well as EU representatives, with their ambitions and ideas directly reflected in the report.
“My number one ambition is to ensure 10% of the post-2027 CAP budget is ringfenced for young farmers and generational renewal. Funding for the future of our agricultural sector cannot be optional – the policy is only as good as the paper it is written on unless it is mandatory. Ringfenced funding is a red line for me.
“Supporting women in agriculture is also a core priority of mine. In this report, I stress that generational renewal must address persistent gender inequalities in agriculture with targeted support for young female farmers needed. I also propose the creation of women-focused advisory and mentoring programmes as well as stronger representation for women in agricultural organisations and decision-making bodies.
“I look forward to presenting this report in front of the Parliament’s Agriculture Committee next Tuesday. I will then work to ensure these key points are reflected in the upcoming CAP report which will set out the Agriculture Committee’s position on the future of the CAP for the period 2028-2034.”