Seanad debates
Wednesday, 12 February 2003
Fischler Proposals for Agriculture: Motion.
Last year before the outline proposals were published, I asked the economic evaluators, FAPRI Ireland, to carry out a study of the effects of decoupling. There has been criticism in some quarters that the FAPRI study is not comprehensive in that it did not take account of other developments, for example, the World Trade Organisation talks or other aspects of the mid-term review. Any such criticism is unfounded and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the process in which we are engaged. If the FAPRI study had included the effects of those factors, we would not know the effects on agriculture of decoupling alone, something which we must know because we have to take a position on it in the Council of Ministers. The FAPRI report was very clear about the factors covered and the assumptions made. Those factors did not take into account the WTO or other aspects of the mid-term review, just decoupling alone. We need to know the effects of the other developments also. I asked FAPRI, as soon as the decoupling exercise was complete, to extend the study to include the other mid-term review proposals and developments in the WTO. I expect the results of this additional study will be ready in about two months.
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