Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 41: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the status of the green box payments in the context of the World Trade Organisation talks. [37385/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Green Box payments, in the context of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, are defined as payments, which have no, or at most minimal trade distorting effects or effects on agriculture production. These payments are exempt from reduction commitments and can even be increased without any financial limitation under the WTO. Almost €2 billion in payments are made annually to Ireland under the Common Agriculture Policy, which are currently classified as Green Box.

During the most recent WTO Ministerial meeting in July, a number of trading partners pressed for changes to the legal definition of the Green Box which had the potential to call into question the compatibility with WTO rules of the EU system of direct payments to farmers. We were supported by ten other Member States with similar concerns about the future of the Green Box. In the absence of an agreement in the World Trade talks, the current wording of the Green Box remains.