As one of the key negotiators in the European Parliament on Horizon Europe, Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh has tabled proposals to increase funding for agriculture and fisheries.
MEP Maria Walsh is the lead Agriculture negotiator for the European People’s Party (EPP) on Horizon Europe, the largest funding programme in the European Union for research and innovation. Horizon Europe is a major source of funding for Irish universities, research centres, agri-innovation projects and rural development.
The proposed funding envelope for the next period is almost double that of the current cycle, increasing to €175 billion for 2028-2034. In line with this increase, MEP Walsh has proposed increasing the Horizon budget dedicated to the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
MEP Maria Walsh, a full member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said:
“As one of the key negotiators on Horizon Europe for the Agriculture Committee, my priority is to increase the funding available to the Irish agricultural and fisheries sectors. While the overall budget for Horizon Europe has almost doubled for the next funding period, we are not yet seeing a proportional increase in the investment dedicated to agriculture.
“At present, the funding allocated to agriculture is proposed to increase from approximately €17 billion to roughly €20 billion. I want to see this figure doubled so that Irish farmers can feel the benefits of Horizon Europe on their land and in their pockets. Such an increase will also ensure that our universities, research bodies, agri-tech companies and SMEs can avail of the support they need to innovate and make our farming more competitive, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.
“During recent negotiations across political groups, I submitted proposals which called for increasing the budget dedicated to agriculture as well as ringfenced funding for agricultural research within the Horizon programme. I also submitted a proposal which called for fisheries to be included within Horizon funding.
“I was the only MEP to propose the inclusion of fisheries and given the noise created by some Irish MEPs on fisheries, I was surprised and disappointed to see my proposal opposed by the Left political group – where MEPs Luke Ming Flanagan, Kathleen Funchion and Lynn Boylan sit. During two rounds of negotiations, the Left group continuously attempted to block increased funding for the fisheries sector.
“Thankfully, I secured the support from a majority of other political groups. My proposal on fisheries remains and I hope it will receive support from the Agriculture Committee as a whole when it comes to a vote.”