Vol. 438 No. 7
68 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the steps, if any, he will take in the EU Council of Ministers to provide for advance fixing of export refunds for live cattle; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Responsibility for managing the export refunds system rests with the EU Commission in consultation with the beef management committee.
Advance-fixing of refunds for live cattle was suspended by the Commission last July in order to offset some of the advantage then enjoyed by the live exporters over exporters of beef.
My concern is to ensure that the export refunds system for live cattle and beef should strike an appropriate balance between the need to maintain competition in the cattle market and the need to protect added-value and employment in the processing sector. Accordingly, my Department constantly monitors the effects of the export refund system in both categories of exports and, where appropriate, raises any problems in this regard in the beef management committee.
