Johnny Brady
Ceist:31 Mr. J. Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his plans to protect the gains made in Agenda 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4275/02]
Written Answers. - Agenda 2000.
The Agenda 2000 agreement covering the period 2000-2006 was finalised in Berlin in March 1999 and represented a highly satisfactory outcome for Ireland. The agreement provides for a number of reviews. The European Commission is likely to combine these in an overall review to be presented in June 2002. My position is that the essential elements of Agenda 2000 should remain in place at least until 2006.
The Agenda 2000 agreement explicitly speci fied that expenditure earmarked for the existing member states cannot be used to meet the cost of enlargement. The resources necessary for CAP market supports, direct payments and rural development in the existing EU, including Ireland, in the period to 2006 are, therefore, provided for and will not be affected by enlargement.
The EU's negotiating mandate on agriculture for the World Trade Organisation negotiations, which was agreed by the Council of Ministers, was based primarily on the Agenda 2000 agreement and I am satisfied that the WTO ministerial declaration agreed in Doha in November 2001, which launched the current round of WTO negotiations, is in accordance with that mandate. The mandate provides a satisfactory framework for protecting the interests of the Irish agriculture and food industries and it is my intention to ensure that it will be fully respected in the negotiations themselves, which are scheduled to end by 2005.
While I am committed to defending the policy framework provided by the Agenda 2000 Agreement, it is vitally important that those who operate within that framework are fully prepared for the future challenges and opportunities that may emerge. For that reason, I established in June 1999 a committee to make recommendations on the development of those industries over the present decade. That committee's report entitled, Agri Food 2010, was completed in March 2000 and I published a plan of action in August 2000 which set out the Government's policy response to the committee's recommendations. Substantial funding for many of the recommendations has been provided in the National Development Plan 2000-2006. I am confident, therefore, that the agriculture and food industries will be well prepared to cope with any increased competition on the domestic market and to exploit opportunities on export markets and so maximise their contribution to Irish wealth and employment and the development of rural areas over the next ten years.