WTO agreement ‘must be balanced’

There can be no question of agriculture being sacrificed to pay for achieving an overall world trade agreement, Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh has pledged.

As president of the EU Council of Agricultural Ministers, he said he will do what he can to facilitate progress. However, his position remains unchanged. There must be a fair and balanced agreement on agriculture.

He said he intends to have this important matter on the agenda for further discussion at the next Council of Ministers meeting later this month.