Smith voices WTO concern

THE new Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith and his French counterpart, Michel Barnier, yesterday expressed serious concerns at the direction of the world trade negotiations and the impact these would have on European agriculture.

The ministers met in Dublin to discuss a range of major policy areas, including the global trade talks, the health check being conducted by the European Commission on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the sheep sector.

Minister Smith, speaking at a lunch in honour of Mr Barnier, said France and Ireland have always stood shoulder to shoulder in asserting the importance of farming and the food industry to the economy, society and physical environment of Europe, during the many debates about the CAP in the past and in current negotiations in Brussels and Geneva.