Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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83. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he proposes to raise at the next EU Agriculture Council the need for the European Commission to introduce adequate market support measures following the negative effects of the ban imposed by Russia on products from the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47470/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that, at the next meeting of the Council of EU Agriculture Ministers, I will impress on the Commissioner the need for adequate market support measures to address the negative effects of the Russian ban on agri-food products from the EU. I have already signed a common note from Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, France, Hungary and Romania, which is supported by Austria and Estonia, calling on the Commission to introduce a scheme of aid for private storage of pigmeat.

As to the dairy sector, the continuing weakness in the global dairy market is having a severe impact on dairy farmers in Ireland and throughout the EU. Prices have fallen from historically high levels in 2013 to exceptionally low levels at present, and further reductions are anticipated. This weakness in prices has been exacerbated by the Russian import ban. In these circumstances it is important that the European Commission uses the measures available to it to assist the situation. Some private storage aid has already been provided. I will be raising the dairy sector at next week’s Council of Ministers and will be calling on the Commission to take whatever action is necessary to support the market in a way that is both timely and effective during the period of instability in prices.