Vol. 487 No. 8
70 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the way in which he proposes to stabilise the agriculture industry with particular reference to ensuring future prospects for producers in the industry; if he has identified the main factors affecting confidence in agriculture at the present time; the plans, if any, he has for addressing these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5384/98]
Producer prices are largely determined by the EU Common Agricultural Policy and one of the most important factors affecting future prospects for farming is the imminent reform of that policy. It has been accepted by the Council of Agriculture Ministers and by the European Council in Luxembourg last December that reform on the broad lines of the proposals in Agenda 2000 is necessary to allow the sector to be developed on a sound and sustainable basis, to make agriculture more competitive on world markets and to meet the needs of enlargement of the EU. Clearly the stakes are high in the detailed negotiations, which will begin after the presentation of the Commission's full proposals at the end of March, and I will spare no effort in working for the best possible outcome for Ireland.
Apart from the larger issues arising in the Santer package, of more immediate concern are developments in the EU beef market and in particular in the UK. The BSE related market renationalisation tendency in European countries has left the Irish beef industry overly reliant on volatile and vulnerable third country markets. The progressive liberalisaion of world trade makes it all the more important that our beef trade is refocused towards the sustainable high value markets within the European Union. Accordingly, in addition to taking direct action in relation to the difficulties in the UK market I have requested Bord Bia to prepare, as a matter of urgency, a detailed and costed marketing initiative to assist the industry in recovering and expanding market share in the European Union while retaining our position as a leading exporter to international markets.
