Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to construct an alliance at member State level to support Ireland's case for common agricultural policy reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23133/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An essential component of my approach to the negotiations on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the building of alliances with my counterparts in like-minded Member States. I believe that this is an absolute priority if I am to maximise support for my position as the negotiations on the Commission's proposals unfold. Indeed, I have been actively building such alliances since taking up office in March last year.

During 2011, I had formal bilateral meetings with the EU Agriculture Commissioner and with my German, French, UK, Spanish, Estonian, Finnish and Danish Ministerial colleagues. I also took the opportunity to meet with my Ministerial colleagues from the other Member States and the EU Commission at the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers meetings held each month in Brussels or Luxembourg, and at the Informal Ministerial Councils held in Hungary and Poland. In November of last year I addressed a meeting of the Agricultural Committee of the European Parliament, and I have followed this up in 2012 by meeting with influential MEPs in the European Parliament and with key interlocutors in the Commission and in the Council Secretariat.

In January of this year I had the pleasure of hosting a second visit to Ireland of the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, during which I took the opportunity to outline Ireland's key priorities in the CAP reform negotiations. I have also met with my counterparts from Finland, Lithuania, Spain and Italy in recent weeks.

I plan to continue these contacts over the coming months. As negotiations develop, and, particularly in the run-up to the Irish Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2013, I will continue to engage actively with Ministerial colleagues from other Member States, with the Commissioner and with Members of the European Parliament. My approach will continue to be informed at all times by the need to maintain and develop alliances with like-minded Member States in order to secure the best possible outcome for Ireland in the CAP reform negotiations.

I should add that my contacts at Ministerial level are supplemented by a parallel process of detailed engagement at official level by my Department with counterparts from the Commission, European Parliament and other Member States.