asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will outline his view on the imports of Australian beef and cheese and New Zealand lamb into the EEC.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Agricultural Imports.
10.
The present position in regard to imports of Australian beef and cheese into the Community is that, apart from such quantities as are imported under the GATT quota for frozen beef or the special Community arrangements for manufacturing beef, all such imports are subject to the levies and/or duties applicable under the common agricultural policy.
In the context of the GATT multilateral trade negotiations, however, the Community proposes to grant concessions to Australia on beef and cheese. These provide for access to the Community, on preferential terms, each year of 5,000 tonnes of high quality beef cuts and 3,000 tonnes of cheddar cheese of which 500 tonnes is for processing. These concessions are being made by the Community as part of an overall reciprocal trade package and, while I do not favour the granting of concessions for agricultural products, it is clear that in a compromise which involves substantial benefits for Community exports one must take an overall view of the impact of the package.
Imports of New Zealand lamb into the Community are subject to duty at the rate of 20 per cent which has been bound in GATT since before Ireland's accession. The future arrangements for these imports are being considered by the Community in the context of the proposed common organisation of the market for sheepmeat.
Has there been an extra concession or extra imports of beef and lamb this year from those countries?
It was arranged at the general multilateral conference on tariffs and trade in Geneva.
Yes, but as chairman of the Council of Ministers, has the Minister protested vigorously against it?
I was chairman of the Council of Ministers in Europe itself. GATT is a worldwide organisation.
I know that, but I am asking the Minister if, as chairman of that body, he used his position——
The chairman of the Council was not represented. In fact, while those negotiations were coming to a head, I was not president of the Council.
But the Minister is entitled, as chairman, to protest vigorously against it.
Such progress as has been made has been very beneficial to the Community, including ourselves.
Not at all. Things seem to have been going from bad to worse recently.
I did not hear the Minister say anything about the New Zealand lamb situation. Did the Minister refer to it at all?
I did. I will read the last sentence of my reply again.
Imports of New Zealand lamb into the Community are subject to duty at the rate of 20 per cent which has been bound in GATT since before Ireland's accession. The future arrangements for these imports are being considered by the Community in the context of the proposed common organisation of the market for sheepmeat.
Since it would appear that nothing can be done about importing that which we could produce ourselves, which in fact is creating a surplus and therefore intervention and so on, would the Minister endeavour, particularly in his present position vis-à-vis the EEC, to ensure that any costs that arise as a result of these trade agreements are not left at the door of the farming community, that they will not be debited as a charge against the farmers; in other words, that they will not be included in the overall alleged moneys the EEC are paying to support farming. It is wrong that this should be so if it arises from trade situations?
I can assure the Deputy that I have been using my best endeavours since becoming a Minister in the Government to protect the rights of Irish producers.
Would the Minister further keep very much to the forefront the fact that there is this big effort going on, particularly by our near neighbours, to reduce the budget so far as farming support and prices are concerned and that this is a point which could be set off against what they are proposing to do?
That is a separate question. I am calling Question No. 11.
If a common organisation or a system of premia or a form of intervention is introduced, in the new common organisation we hope to get, it is bound to have some cost factor for the Community.