Mandelson denies US beef export deal

EUROPEAN Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has denied speculation that he has agreed a deal on beef imports from the US.

Ireland East MEP Mairead McGuinness raised the issue with the Commissioner’s Office in Brussels after the Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe made the claim after returning from a visit to the US.

Mr Walshe said he had discovered from high-level meetings and trade contacts in Washington that Mr Mandelson has secretly offered American ranchers a deal that would allow them to send 35,000 tonnes of beef into Europe (equivalent to 100,000 head of cattle).

But the commissioner’s office has denied to Ms McGuinness that he had agreed such a deal. “In reply to your question to Peter Mandelson re the worries of Irish farmers on ‘an agreement’ on beef exports from the US, I am happy to inform you that this is not the case.

“If successfully negotiated, any commitment will be made within the mandate provided by the member states,” the letter stated. Ms McGuinness said despite this statement vigilance would continue to be required to ensure that any deal at the WTO does not disadvantage Irish farmers.

Meanwhile, Trade and Commerce Minister Michael Ahern warned that any trade deal negotiated by the EU must not cost Irish agriculture.

“I will not accept that agriculture should be sacrificed for the sake of achieving an agreement,” he said.