Coughlan warns on trade talks

THE reform of the Common Agricultural Policy represents the limit of the European Union’s negotiating brief in the world trade talks, according to Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan.

Her warning came as a year-end deadline was set for the five-year-old talks, with agriculture remaining a crucial issue to be resolved.

The new timeline with intermediate targets showing what negotiators should achieve over the coming weeks and months was set last weekend in Switzerland.