Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Jun 2001

Vol. 539 No. 1

Written Answers. - Common Agricultural Policy.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

172 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he is in favour of common agricultural policy reform based on quality production and sustainable methods rather than promoting competitiveness based on mass production. [18970/01]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

I believe that food production methods, whether large-scale or small-scale, extensive or intensive, should be sustainable, environmentally friendly, respect acceptable standards of animal welfare and above all be safe for human health. The Agenda 2000 agreement which sets the policy framework for agriculture until 2006 has built on the 1992 reforms by taking further significant measures towards environmentally-friendly farming.

In addition, the measures which are being developed for the integration of environmental considerations into all aspects of economic activity as prescribed by the Treaty of Amster dam – the Cardiff process – will ensure the sustainability and environmentally sensitivity of EU food production.

I established an expert group to review quality assurance schemes in the food area and to make recommendations on how greater coherence and clarity might be achieved in this whole area for the ultimate benefit of the consumer and the food industry. The group has finalised its report and I will be making a statement on this matter shortly.

In January 2000, the European Commission published a White Paper on Food Safety which proposed a strategy to achieve the highest possible standards of protection for the EU consumer. The proposed strategy involves two elements: the establishment of an independent European Food Authority and a draft regulation setting out the general principles of food law, and a programme of over 80 separate measures to be taken over a period of three years or so. This programme includes measures on food hygiene along with production, control and marketing of products of animal origin and animal health issues in relation to the production of those products.

My objective in negotiating on these measures is to ensure that the highest possible levels of public health protection will apply to all food production.