Geneva talks principles will protect farmers, says Walsh
He said these principles will ensure that no further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be necessary in order to comply with what will be the final WTO agreement.
The agreement reached in Geneva at the weekend is on a framework for the remainder of the negotiations. It is not the final agreement and much remains to be negotiated. For example, the next formal WTO ministerial meeting is scheduled for Hong Kong in December 2005.
Mr Walsh said the framework agreement ensures that the EU’s decoupled direct payments will not be subject to reductions because of WTO rules.
The existing CAP reform remains in place until such time as the EU Council of Ministers changes it. It should not be confused with budgetary issues - the existing budgetary arrangements for the CAP are in place until 2013.
“The negotiations last weekend were about broad principles and not individual products. However, the principle was established that WTO members can nominate an appropriate number of sensitive products - under the market access pillar - which would then receive special treatment in relation to tariff reductions.
“This was a major achievement which will help preserve the high-priced EU markets for the relevant products for Irish and other EU farmers.
“Nominating sensitive products will be a matter for later decision at EU level. Ireland will obviously endeavour to maximise the number of sensitive products of interest to us.”
Mr Walsh said the reform of the sugar regime is an internal matter for the EU and did not form part of the WTO negotiations. The existing regime is due to run to mid-2006.
He said there will be no reductions of EU export refunds unless other counties march in step with their own export subsidies.
