EU must learn from sugar debacle and rethink talks strategy, says IFA

EUROPEAN Union trade talks with other global markets need a rules-based rather than a price-based framework to avoid a sugar-style debacle happening to beef, warns the Irish Farmers’ Association.

IFA president John Bryan said the EU never got the cheaper sugar it expected from previous global trade talks, which led to the closure of Ireland’s sugar industry in 2001. He said the EU must learn from past mistakes and re-think its strategy for the imminent Mercosur and WTO trade talks.

“Beef would be the most exposed product if those trade talks end up with further liberalisation of the markets,” said Mr Bryan.