Country faces losing out in trade deal

IRELAND risks losing out in agriculture, trade and services under current negotiations on a new world trade deal, Trade Minister John McGuinness has warned.

He accused EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson of trying to substitute speed for substance and railroad EU countries into accepting a deal without knowing the full details.

Mr Mandelson however has said that a breakdown of the Doha round is “perilously close” and he wants to organise a ministerial meeting in April where they would sign off on agriculture and on industrial goods.

Mr McGuinness, who has been meeting trade ministers in other member states over the past three months, told yesterday’s meeting in Brussels that there would have to be considerable improvements on what other non-EU countries were willing to give for Ireland and Europe to get a reasonable deal.

“The meeting gave us cause for concern but the majority of countries accept that more improvements are needed especially in agriculture and industrial goods. We are not getting enough in these areas to help Irish trade, especially in the SME sector,” he said.

He said Mr Mandelson was sending conflicting messages on the state of the negotiations on liberalising world trade. At the meeting, he told ministers there could be a meeting in April where they could sign off on an outline deal on agriculture and industrial goods.

But in the meantime he said Mr Mandelson had been warning that negotiations would almost certainly fail. “I have to believe that he is trying to get us to move swiftly on to get a deal and get us to take our eye off the ball,” said Mr McGuinness.

“I am not going to buy a pig in a poke. Something has to be flagged for us to understand what he is at on industrial goods. I would be very concerned about agriculture too and what is on offer relative not just to beef but the food industry generally — we have to have significant improvements.”

He said 17 of the 27 member countries are of the same opinion as Ireland, but accused Mr Mandelson of being oblivious to their concerns. The World Trade Organisation talks that were launched in 2001 are at a critical juncture. Ireland, France and a number of other EU countries have accused Mr Mandelson on making too many concessions on agriculture without getting anything in return in the other areas such as manufacturing and services.