Farmers step up campaign against trade concessions
Members of Irish Farmers Association (IFA) occupied the Dublin offices of the European Commission overnight, ahead of a major protest outside the building today by farmers from all over the country.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) demonstrated outside the British Embassy and handed in a letter accusing EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson of exceeding the negotiating mandate given to him by member states.
IFA has organised a lunchtime protest today against the EU offer to cut tariffs on agricultural imports by an average 46%.
IFA president, John Dillon, said the offer points to an 800 million income loss for Irish farmers or a 35% cut in farm incomes.
He said Irish agriculture and the food sector must not be forced to pay twice to secure a WTO agreement. The 2003 EU reform was meant to be the absolute limit of any concessions in the trade negotiations.
As more than 30 ICSA members protested outside the British Embassy, their president Malcolm Thompson said Mr Mandelson’s proposal will make farming unviable in Ireland and in the rest of the EU.
He said the offer, if successful, will endanger not just the EU economy, but the health and welfare of its citizens. This is because food security cannot be guaranteed without a sustainable EU agriculture and because South American imports do not have the same standards of traceability and regulation, he said.
Mr Mandelson, speaking ahead of a key meeting in London last night of ministers from the US, EU, Japan, Brazil and India, said that having made the offer on agriculture Europe is in a much stronger position to negotiate and unlock the trade talks.
