By ratifying the Nice treaty, Ireland stands to gain new allies in support of the CAP, allies who will surely fight to keep the CAP as it stands. Furthermore, the accession countries will provide a new market of over 100 million people for Irish produce. I am fully confident that Irish agriculture can exploit the opportunities of an enlarged market and maximise the benefits to Irish wealth, employment and the development of rural areas. Finally, although the candidate countries are dependent on agriculture, the Irish agriculture and food industries are very well prepared in terms of coping with any increased competition. We must remember that Ireland is at the cutting edge of technology within the agricultural sector. We can deal with the challenges of competition and we can face the future with confidence.