Coughlan urged to take tough stance in the wake of WTO talks collapse

THE multi-billion euro Irish beef and dairy industries have urged Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan to remain resolute in her defence of European agribusiness following the collapse of the WTO talks.

And chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) John Whelan said: “As a consequence, Irish trade with the US, South America, China, India and Africa will suffer”.

In a joint statement, the Irish Dairy Industries Association (IDIA) and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) called on the Minister to use the current suspension of the talks as a twin purpose opportunity.

The aim should be to gain recognition for the European Union’s substantial reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and for the current EU offer in the talks to further reduce tariffs and export supports.

ICOS and the IDIA said recent actions by EU trade representatives to make concessions at any cost in an effort to secure a trade deal held the potential to irreparably damage the Irish and European dairy industry.

They asked that Minister Coughlan remain resolute in her defence of the current EU offer which represents, they said, a substantial reduction in trade tariffs and export support.

“The EU offer in October represents a significant challenge to the viability of the Irish dairy sector and further concessions could not be absorbed by the industry.”

Both bodies said it is essential that other trading partners match Europe in its willingness to open its markets to international trade.

Specifically, they said the US must be pressurised to table a real and meaningful offer, equal to that made by the EU and the other international trading partners.

Meat Industry Ireland, representing processors, said the breakdown at the WTO was inevitable given the one-sidedness of the negotiations to-date.

Cormac Healy, spokesman, said the process so far has simply involved EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, offering more and more concessions to other trading partners, who banked the offers and made no moves themselves.