Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy said, the negotiations in this matter have been going on for some considerable time. There has been a series of rounds of discussions both within the European Union and with the Americans. Throughout these negotiations we have taken the line that we are in favour of a successful round in the World Trade Organisation talks. We want to see the Doha round concluded. For the sake of trade and trade liberalisation, and to allow for world trade particularly for developing countries we want this round to be successful. We have been adamant in our position that the negotiations of 2003 which led to the latest round of CAP, building on the 1992 round, and the three other negotiations of CAP in recent years should not be given away. As the Deputy knows, we have had some disagreement in these negotiations with the European Commissioner, Mr. Mandelson.

Our view on the negotiations is that we have already given a significant round of concessions in the 2003 agreement. Therefore, our opening position should be that there is no need for us to give further breaks and changes, pending what the Americans will or will not give. The Americans have a different view and have been lobbied extensively on it. There have been several meetings on this, right up to yesterday's round. Yesterday, we were supported by the French, the Greeks and the Cypriots in the discussions. We will continue to put forward our position. At the European Council meeting two weeks ago in Hampton Court both the French President and I, and to a lesser extent other countries, continued our strong opposition to this and supported sticking to the CAP position. As Deputy Kenny knows, there is not a strong lobby on our position within the 25 countries, but we have held the line firmly.

Not to pick up Deputy Kenny, but to make the point as I see it and have held in negotiations, I do not believe it was an "understanding" in the 2003 discussions. It was a commitment. Those discussions were based on a commitment that would go into the next Doha round. It is incorrect, as we established in the meetings with both the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, for Mr. Mandelson to feel obliged to give anything further on this. Our commitment was in the decoupling arrangements of 2003. I have argued strongly for the cause of Irish farmers on this. I have argued vehemently in opposition to many of the multinationals in this country who take the trade view. I continue to do that and have spoken to many of the presidents of multinationals here to outline why the issue of CAP reform is so important to us.

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