Poland shares trade talks concerns

IRELAND and Poland have shared concerns about what they regard as the dangers posed to EU agriculture by the latest developments in the world trade talks.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith and Polish Secretary of State, Andrzej Dycha, agreed at a meeting on the margins of the World Food Summit in Rome that the future of EU agriculture could not be sacrificed for the sake of a deal.

Mr Smith said he was pleased at the degree to which Irish views were reflected in the Polish position.

“It is clear that both member states have a shared sense of disquiet about some of the proposals on the table.

“We are determined to make all efforts to ensure that the outcome of the negotiations does not undermine the future of the CAP,” the minister said.

During a talk on the CAP health check, the ministers agreed on the need to ensure a soft landing for the expiry of milk quotas and that this would best be achieved by planned and predictable rises in quota.

They also shared their views on the need for the retention of market management measures and on the importance of operational simplification.

Mr Smith said his meeting with Secretary Dycha had been extremely useful. He was very much heartened by the strong line taken by Poland on the world trade talks.

He said he was also encouraged by the similarities between the Irish and Polish positions on core elements of the health check.

Mr Smith and Mr Dycha agreed that they and their officials would remain in close contact over the coming months.