Johnny Brady (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I am delighted to have his opportunity to discuss the WTO in the House. This is the second time the issue has been discussed in recent months.

The Doha development round negotiations are now in their seventh year and have, in recent weeks, reached a critical phase in Geneva. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have all been active in strongly defending the agricultural interests of the country over recent months. The Taoiseach met Chancellor Merkel earlier this week and had a very useful exchange of views on the various issues. The Minister will be travelling to Germany next week to meet her counterpart, Minister Seehofer. She has also had a number of meetings with her French counterpart, Mr. Barnier, in recent months and they met again this week at the agriculture Council in Luxembourg. Today, President Barroso is in Dublin meeting the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. These high level contacts are testimony to the Government's commitment to protect the interest of Irish farmers.

I was glad to hear that Commissioner Fischer Boel made it clear at the agriculture Council earlier this week that a balanced outcome was a precondition of any deal. I was also glad to hear the Commissioner reiterate that the negotiations are based on the single undertaking to include industrial goods, services and a rules-based system.

Like others in this House, I am concerned that Commissioner Mandelson has been adopting an unnecessarily concessionary approach to the negotiations.

The Commission negotiates in the WTO on behalf of the member states on the basis of a mandate agreed in the Council of Ministers. The mandate is designed to defend the CAP as it evolves under successive reforms, including Agenda 2000 and the mid-term review, both of which were agreed with a view to positioning the EU in the WTO negotiations. Essentially, the Council mandate aims to protect the European model of agriculture as an economic sector and a basis for sustainable development based on the multifunctional nature of agriculture and the part it plays in the economy, the environment and society generally. The CAP reforms that have been implemented represent a significant contribution to these negotiations and other WTO negotiating partners must make equivalent contributions to ensure, in the event of an agreement, it is balanced from an agricultural perspective.

I am glad to highlight that the Minister has been successful in establishing an alliance with a group of more than 14 member states and there is good support for the view that the legitimate interests of the EU agrifood sector must be strongly defended. At the March Council meeting the membership of the group of 14 swelled to 20. Each member state has its own particular concerns. While Ireland focuses on the green box, export refunds and market access for beef and dairy products, others are concerned, for example, about Mediterranean products.

However, such broad alliances are crucial in an EU of 27 members. I support the Minister's specific priorities in the ongoing agriculture negotiations. On domestic support, she is seeking to ensure decoupled direct payments continue to qualify as non-trade distorting payments under the WTO green box classification and to remain exempt from reductions under the new round. On export subsidies, she wants to ensure the full parallel elimination of all forms of export subsidy and seeks the maximum flexibility in the phasing out arrangements for the EU export refunds scheme. On market access, an effective import regime has a vital role to play, and, therefore, the aim is to retain a realistic and effective level of protection for our producers and exporters.

I wish the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy McGuinness, well. I compliment every farming organisation on their contribution on this issue because if Mr. Mandelson gets this way, he will kill agriculture and rural Ireland, which the Government, the Taoiseach and Minister will fight to keep alive.

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