Vol. 504 No. 3
58 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans, if any, he has to discuss the importance for coherence between CAP and EU development co-operation policy at the next meeting with his European counterparts in view of the importance of ensuring that agricultural exports and food aid in kind do not damage the production and marketing capacity of developing countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11865/99]
I believe that EU Agriculture Ministers are well aware of the need to prevent damage by the CAP to the agricultural sectors of developing countries. I have no plans to raise this matter at the next meeting of the Agriculture Council as I do not regard it as necessary at this stage.
As a member of the World Trade Organisation, the EU is bound by the organisation's agreements and rules on trade, which include recognition of the importance of favourable treatment for developing countries. The EU grants preferential access to its markets for a wide range of agricultural products from developing countries mainly through its generalised scheme of preferences and the Lomé Convention.
The EU Development Ministers adopted in June 1997 a resolution on the issue of coherence between the Community's development cooperation and its other policies. The areas covered by this resolution include food security. In the food security area, the resolution emphasises the need to ensure that agricultural exports and food aid in kind do not damage the production and marketing capacity of developing countries. The EU also operates a code of practice, adopted in 1997, in relation to food aid, which aims to avoid any harmful effects of food aid on local production and marketing structures.
