Trade deal will defend farmers, says Phil Hogan
Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan gave the assurance when he addressed an Oireachtas Joint Committee in Dublin.
The farm lobby is worried EU agriculture will be sacrificed for the benefit of other sectors in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations, which are unlikely to conclude before the year end.
Mr Hogan is directly involved in the process and has visited Washington DC twice to engage with the Obama administration, the Congress and farm sector stakeholders. He said international trade deals are of key importance for European agriculture.
The US already represents a key outlet for EU agricultural production and is the destination for 13% of exports. The negotiation offers opportunities and challenges, said Mr Hogan.
“My key message to the US side has been clear and consistent, that the EU is strongly committed to having a deal with an appropriate balance and respect for our sensitivities,” he said.
Mr Hogan said the deal will offer market opportunities for EU agricultural products through the reduction of US tariffs and non-tariff barriers. These are in areas such as dairy, food preparations, prepared meats, sugar confectionery, chocolates, fruit and vegetables, and beverages and juices.
However, he said the trade deal is also a challenge owing to the differences between the US and EU production structures, environmental standards and approaches to food safety.
