Geneva talks principles will protect farmers, says Walsh

CERTAIN principles have been established in the draft world trade talks framework agreement which will protect Irish and European Union agriculture in the remaining stages of the negotiations, Agriculture and Food Minister Joe Walsh said yesterday.

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.