Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2005
119 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the implications for Irish agriculture of the proposals recently made by EU Commissioners Mandelson and Fischer Boel in regard to the current round of world trade talks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34176/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra124 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the extent to which in the context of the World Trade Organisation and through the EU she is prepared to ensure the viability of the agricultural sector having particular regard to Ireland’s position as a food producing country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34257/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra137 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views regarding Commissioner Peter Mandelson who clearly has exceeded the EU mandate on agriculture in the World Trade Organisation negotiations; the action she will take to endeavour to restrict the role of Commissioner Mandelson in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33760/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra138 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans to seek the retention of the highest possible subsidies for Irish farmers and to protect Irish agricultural products from foreign competition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34184/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra152 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will report on the Government’s position on the policies to abolish CAP being pursued by Commissioner Mandelson. [34233/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra173 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her priorities for the current round of world trade talks and the summit due in Hong Kong in December 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34177/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra184 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the discussions she has had with the EU Commission on the WTO talks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33780/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra442 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will make a statement on the implications for EU and Irish agriculture of the Trade Commissioner’s proposals relating to the World Trade Organisation. [33990/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra467 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the extent to which she expects the EU to adopt a stance consistent with Ireland’s position as a food producing country in the context of the World Trade Organisation debate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34555/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra468 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if adequate steps are being taken at EU level to maintain and identify Ireland’s position as a food producing and food exporting economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34556/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra469 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position in regard to preparation for the World Trade Organisation talks with particular reference to the European influence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34557/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 124, 137, 138, 152, 173, 184, 442, 467, 468 and 469 together.
The Government is committed to achieving a balanced agreement between the various elements of the WTO negotiations. I expect that further progress will be made towards conducting a new agreement at the ministerial conference in Hong Kong in December. In so far as agriculture is concerned, the outcome of the negotiations will determine the levels of protection and support which the EU may provide for the duration of the next agreement. The negotiations represent, therefore, a serious challenge to the future of the Common Agriculture Policy, CAP.
My overriding objective is to ensure that the terms of the final agreement can be accommodated without the need for further reform of the CAP. More specifically, my priorities are to ensure that: the phasing out of all forms of export subsidies will be applied in parallel, as provided for under the WTO framework agreement which was concluded in August 2004, that the phasing out arrangements will be as flexible as possible and that the end date will extend as long as possible; Ireland's agricultural exports will remain competitive in the EU market through the continuation of adequate levels of tariff protection on imports from third countries; to secure the best combination of tariff cuts and the "sensitive product" status, to which lower tariff cuts will apply, for the products of particular interest to Ireland; the EU's system of direct payments which, following decoupling, qualify as non-trade distorting, will continue to be exempt from reductions under the new agreement — direct payments make a major contribution to farm incomes in Ireland and I will strongly resist any attempt to amend the qualifying criteria to undermine their status as non-trade distorting payments under a new agreement.
The Commission negotiates in the WTO on the basis of a mandate which was agreed by the Council of Ministers. The mandate is designed to defend the CAP as it has evolved under successive reforms, including Agenda 2000 and the mid-term review. At a meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 18 October 2005, which I attended, the Council again endorsed the mandate and confirmed that it constitutes the limits for the EU's negotiating brief in the WTO.
The latest EU offer, which was submitted on 28 October, was made by the Commission on the basis that it is within the terms of the negotiating mandate. I continue to have some reservations in this regard. Technical briefing was provided by the Commission on 10 November to explain the position which it adopted and to provide clarification for member states. While the Commission has pointed out that the latest proposal is the EU's final offer on agriculture, extreme vigilance is required to protect the EU's and Ireland's interests in the negotiations.
I have been in regular contact with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development in recent months. I discussed the WTO agriculture negotiations and Irish concerns relating thereto at a bilateral meeting with the Commissioner on 23 June 2005. The Council of Agriculture Ministers, which reviews the situation on a regular basis, discussed the developments in the negotiations at its meetings on 18 July 2005, 19 September 2005 and 25 October 2005, all of which I attended with Ministers from other member states and the Commissioner.
I have pressed strongly for the inclusion of the WTO negotiations on the Council agenda as a substantive issue in the run up to Hong Kong. I also spoke, by telephone, with the Commissioner on a number of occasions. On each occasion, I outlined my concerns that the Commission should continue to adhere to the mandate on agriculture which was given to it by the Council and that it should not deviate from this as the negotiations proceed. I have also indicated my concerns at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 18 October 2005, and in bilateral discussions with other EU ministerial colleagues.
Earlier this month, I travelled to Geneva for a meeting with Pascal Lamy, the director general of the WTO, at which I took the opportunity of making it clear to him where Ireland's concerns lie with regard to agriculture and food.
I will continue to monitor developments in the negotiations very closely and will participate fully in discussions in the run up to the WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong. I intend to be in Hong Kong for the conference in December. I will avail of every opportunity to pursue my objectives to achieve the best possible outcome for Irish agriculture.
