Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

That has nothing to do with the Lisbon treaty. The Common Fisheries Policy will be decided at Council and I hope we will achieve unanimity in agreeing it. In the meantime, the way Ireland has always done its business in the European Union is not by voting against proposals. Under qualified majority voting, QMV, we have three votes at Council. The way to get things done in Europe is to build alliances around an argument and win it. That is why we are speaking to the French, Germans and other member states concerned about what may happen as a result of implementing ITQs. One looks for big partners around which one creates a coalition to win one's argument. There are those members states which want to go down the ITQ road. Europe is not about taking a stand, refusing to budge and losing a vote and then claiming the structures are unfair. It is about using the existing mechanisms to win the argument by getting a majority behind it. Ireland has been good at achieving this both in the European Parliament and European Council.

Ireland, a country of 4 million people, has influenced the direction of the debate about the review of the Common Agricultural Policy, which affects 500 million people. This shows we are punching way above our weight in influencing major policy decisions. We will continue to do this with the Common Fisheries Policy. I will probably spend every second week until the middle of 2013 or perhaps even later outside the country meeting Ministers from other member states, as I try to put together deals and persuade the Commission it is making a mistake, while also offering it an alternative. I will not threaten to vote against the CAP or argue that the structures of the European Union are undemocratic because one does not get anywhere in the EU by engaging in that type of grandstanding. One must win the argument and that will be my focus. I am fortunate to have an excellent Department with many smart officials who know how the European Union system works. They have done a great job in positioning Ireland as one of the key players in shaping the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy. I hope that following 18 months or two years of discussions we will, in early 2013, achieve an acceptable outcome which will secure unanimous support and for which Ireland will be the deal-maker.