DUBLIN, Ireland: Farmers and co-op leaders gathered outside the European Commission offices in Dublin this week, voicing opposition to proposed changes that could reshape how EU agricultural funding is allocated.

Organized by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and the Irish Co-operative Organization Society, the protest was part of a broader European action led by Copa Cogeca—the largest farming union in the EU—against plans to merge the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) budget into a general EU fund.

Farmers fear the proposal would eliminate the ring-fencing of Cap funds, leaving agricultural supports vulnerable to future cuts.

"The Cap budget has been there since the Treaty of Rome. It guaranteed food security and supported farmers to produce food for Europe," said Alice Doyle, IFA deputy president. "If we lose the ring-fence, the budget could be raided for other priorities. That puts farmers' incomes and our food systems at risk."

Doyle said the direct payments from Cap are critical to farmers' basic income, especially in rural Ireland. "Every euro earned by a farmer is spent in their local community. Cutting that support would hurt both agriculture and rural economies."

The EU Commission has proposed combining several funding streams, including Cap, into a single financial framework—prompting backlash from the farming sector across the continent.

Edward Carr, president of ICOS and a dairy farmer from Tipperary, echoed the concerns. "The Cap was designed to support the production of affordable food. Ireland is a global leader in sustainable farming. Weakening Cap now threatens our ability to keep producing that food responsibly."

Carr urged EU policymakers to recognize the broader implications of the move. "Farmers have to take a stand. If we want cheap, sustainable food, we must protect the system that makes it possible."

The protest was part of a coordinated effort to draw attention to the stakes ahead of upcoming budgetary decisions in Brussels.