Greater clarity on world trade talks deal sought
Fine Gael spokesperson Billy Timmins TD made the call as IFA leader John Dillon urged the Government to be vigilant to ensure the European Commission does not concede cuts that would go beyond the commitments already made in the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Mr Timmins said the message coming from Mr Walsh about what has been agreed is patchy to say the least and he called on him to give full and frank answers to four key questions:
l What is the position of farm subsidies and can he clarify that these will stay in place post-2013, when the existing CAP reform expires?
Will Ireland be able to have its sugar beet industry protected by having it recognised as a ‘sensitive industry’ as permitted for the beef and dairy industry here?
What form will the changes to the export refund rules take, an important issue given Ireland’s high dependency on the export market - over 40% of Irish dairy produce is sold to non-EU states?
Mr Timmins said the minister and his officials have left many questions about this recent agreement, crucial to the future of Irish farming, unanswered.
IFA president John Dillon said the crucial details of the draft WTO deal reached in Geneva remain to be negotiated over the next 18 months, in particular the percentage reduction in EU import tariffs. “The Government must be extremely vigilant during these negotiations to ensure that the EU Commission does not concede cuts that would go beyond the commitments already made in CAP reform.”
Mr Dillon said that, with the two main EU negotiators, Commissioners Franz Fischler and Pascal Lamy, to be replaced shortly, and with strong support for agriculture coming from only three member states, Ireland, France and Hungary, last week the Government must continuously defend Irish agriculture in the forthcoming WTO negotiations.
