asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will outline the progress of the current GATT negotiations with reference to Irish agriculture, and in particular cheese, since his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 26 of 6 March 1979.
Written Answers. - GATT Negotiations.
52.
The multilateral trade negotiations under the GATT have been concluded. The main benefits in agriculture are the international agreements concluded for beef and dairy products, improved access to third country markets and the acceptance by the Community's trading partners of the principles and mechanisms of the common agricultural policy.
As part of the overall reciprocal trade package the Community has granted some concessions on cheese to New Zealand, Australia and Canada. These provide for annual imports of (i) 6,500 tonnes of cheddar and 3,000 tonnes of other cheese, including cheddar, for processing, from New Zealand, (ii) 3,000 tonnes of cheddar of which 500 are for processing, from Australia and (iii) 2,750 tonnes of aged cheddar from Canada.
The Community has received concessions on cheese from the United States, Canada and Australia. These concessions cover a wide range of cheeses, including, in the case of the United States and Canada, some concessions on cheddar.