Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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500. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on concerns with the passing of Economic Partnership Agreements that they can be considered to be undermining policy coherence in terms of humanitarian aid by not fully supporting the self-sufficiency of farmers in the developing world and their ability and potential to feed themselves. [45458/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and its Member States and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States combine both trade and development provisions. The mandate for their negotiation derives from the Cotonou Agreement of 2000, between the EU and the ACP states. Their central objective is the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty, consistent with the objectives of sustainable development, and the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the world economy.

I am pleased that the Government received the approval of Dáil Éireann for two Economic Partnership Agreements, with Caribbean and West African groups of States last month. I am satisfied that this approval is coherent with and enhances our development cooperation policy, including the provision of humanitarian aid. The Economic Partnership Agreements seek to put trade at the service of development. They include provisions to specifically protect farmers in the developing world. While the EU market is fully opened to ACP agricultural imports, ACP partner countries have been able to protect their sensitive agricultural products by excluding them from liberalisation. In the event of difficulties arising on local markets or of food security being threatened, ACP partner countries can avail of specific safeguard provisions included in the Agreements. In addition, under the three Agreements reached with African countries last year, the EU is committed to stop export subsidies on EU agricultural exports, to those countries.

The Agreements also provide for enhanced policy cooperation and dialogue on agriculture and food security, with a commitment to transparency on domestic support for the farming sector. Furthermore, EU development assistance with trade capacity-building measures will support ACP farming and farmers’ capacity to comply with sanitary and phytosanitary and other agricultural standards.