asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries to what specific dairy products the common agricultural policy and the intervention purchase system will apply in the EEC.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Agricultural Policy.
30.
Under the relevant EEC regulations the common organisation of the market in milk and dairy products applies to milk and cream, fresh, concentrated, sweetened, dried or otherwise preserved, butter, cheese and curd, certain lactose products and certain animal feeding stuffs containing milk products.
The intervention system applies to butter and skim milk powder and, in Italy only, to certain varieties of cheese produced in that country.
Do I take it from the reply that there will be no intervention price mechanism in operation in respect of our cheese?
Yes, that is so.
How will that affect our position as regards our price for cheese in the Common Market?
I do not think it will have any great effect because, as far as Italy is concerned, cheese is her main milk product. Here, cheese forms a very small portion of our exports of milk products.
I asked the question because cheese is specifically mentioned in the first White Paper issued by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Two special brands of cheese have been mentioned and it appeared to me that this represented a gap which was not adequately explained. That is why I put down the question. Have we been left at a disadvantage in respect of our export of cheese afterwards in the negotiations? Is the position for British cheese any better than for cheese produced here?
I do not think so, but if the Deputy would like further information he could put down a specific question dealing with cheese.