Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the development which has taken place in regard to the WTO; the significance of such developments or preliminary discussions from the Irish and European viewpoint; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14571/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Intensive negotiations concluded in August 2004 in agreement on a framework setting out the general outline and content of a new WTO agreement. The detailed implementation of this framework is the subject of ongoing negotiation at technical and political level and are likely to conclude at the next ministerial conference in Hong Kong in December 2005.

The main elements of the framework agreement from the EU and Irish perspectives are as follows. EU decoupled direct payments which are non-trade-distorting will qualify for inclusion in the WTO green box category of domestic supports and will, therefore, be exempt from reduction in the future. While the framework agreement provides for substantial improvements in market access, WTO members may self-select an appropriate number of sensitive products for special treatment in so far as tariff protection on imports is concerned. All forms of export supports, not just EU export refunds, will be reduced in parallel or subjected to disciplines, thereby ensuring EU exporters will not be at a competitive disadvantage on third country markets.

I am satisfied that the framework agreement secured the benefits to EU and Irish farmers of the mid-term review of the CAP and represented a satisfactory outcome from Ireland's point of view.