Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 267: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will make a statement on the Government's attitude towards the forthcoming WTO negotiations and the implications they may have for agriculture here. [29652/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government is committed to achieving a balanced agreement between the various elements of the WTO negotiations, which are expected to reach a conclusion at the ministerial conference in Hong Kong in December. In so far as agriculture is concerned, the over-riding objective is to ensure that the terms of the final agreement can be accommodated without the need for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

More specifically, the priorities are to ensure that the phasing-out of all forms of export subsidies will be applied in parallel, as provided for under the WTO framework agreement which was concluded in August 2004, and that the phasing-out period will be as long as possible; that Ireland's agricultural exports will remain competitive in the EU market through the continuation of adequate levels of tariff protection on imports from third countries; that the EU system of direct payments which, following decoupling, qualify as non-trade-distorting, will continue to be exempt from reductions under the new agreement.

The Commission negotiates in the WTO on the basis of a mandate which was agreed by the Council of Ministers. The mandate reflects the position following the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy. At a meeting of the General Affairs and Foreign Ministers Council on 18 October which I attended, it was again agreed that the mandate remained valid and that it constitutes the limits for the EU's negotiating brief in the WTO. I will continue to monitor developments in the negotiations and to participate fully in discussions with a view to achieving a satisfactory outcome for Irish agriculture.