Vol. 498 No. 5
28 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps, if any, he will take to protect Irish farmers in the forthcoming Agenda 2000 negotiations; the bilateral negotiations, if any, he has had with other member states who have similar problems to that of Ireland; when the final negotiations will be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27849/98]
29 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding negotiations on proposals from the EU Commission for reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27806/98]
62 Mr. M. Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the timetable for the conclusion of Agenda 2000 negotiations; the action, if any, he has taken to date and has planned to gain support from other member states for Ireland's position in the forthcoming negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27767/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 29 and 62 together.
At meetings of the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers since last March when the detailed proposals for CAP reform were presented by the EU Commission, I have made it very clear that the Irish Government cannot accept the proposals in their present form. The proposals will not provide for equity between member states and between different types of production and they will involve an estimated net annual loss of £226 million to Irish producers. I informed the Commissioner and my colleagues in the Council of the economic significance of the Irish interests that would be affected and I obtained acknowledgement of the importance of beef and milk to Ireland by having written into the Conclusions of the Agriculture Council in May a statement that the dependence of particular member states on specific sectors would be taken into account in the final agreement. I also sought and obtained recognition by the Council in those Conclusions of the need to avoid renationalisation of the CAP and distortion of competition.
The European Council in Cardiff set the objective of achieving final adoption of the overall Agenda 2000 proposals before the next European parliamentary elections in June 1999 and specified that political agreement could be reached on the package as a whole no later than March 1999.
Technical examination of the proposals on agriculture has been carried out in recent months and the November Agriculture Council finalised a progress report for the Vienna European Council on 11 and 12 December. The Vienna European Council reaffirmed that agreement should be reached on the package of measures by the end of March 1999.
I have put Ireland's case forcefully in bilateral meetings with Commissioner Fischler and with my ministerial colleagues from the UK, Germany, France and Austria. I have also made arrangements to meet my ministerial colleagues from Spain, Portugal and France in the coming weeks. Discussions have also taken place at official level with a number of member states.
During the coming months of negotiations, I will continue to strongly promote Ireland's case and to seek support from my ministerial colleagues both in formal meetings and in bilateral discussions. It is my firm objective to secure a satisfactory outcome for Irish agriculture.
