EU warns against ending export subsidies

Tokyo: THE EU warned yesterday it cannot accept the elimination of agricultural export subsidies. Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler made this clear as trade ministers gathered in Tokyo for weekend talks.

The World Trade Organisation proposes to eliminate all export subsidies over a nine-year period as part of the new round of trade liberalisation talks.

Mr Fischler said the EU would push for a gradual phasing out of some handouts to farmers, while keeping those that sought to preserve agricultural lands and way of life.

Major agricultural exporting countries such as the US, Australia, Canada and Brazil want the payments scrapped, claiming their farmers cannot compete with EU producers.

IFA leader John Dillon accused Mr Fischler of making a premature and excessive offer of a 36% cut in EU import tariffs.

This had encouraged the WTO to push for cuts up to 60% in EU import protection and the complete dismantling of export refunds.

TWO of the five BSE cases recorded this week were in Cork. The others were in Wexford and Monaghan.

One infected animal was aged 10. The others were eight and seven.

They brought the total number of outbreaks so far this year to 39, compared with 60 for the same period last year.