Written answers

Tuesday, 5 February 2019

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Brexit Preparations

Photo of Lisa ChambersLisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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507. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if contingency plans have been put in place for the supply of potatoes in the event of a no-deal Brexit in view of the fact that Ireland is one of the largest importers of UK potatoes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5555/19]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under Annex III of EU Plant Health Directive 2000/29/EC, seed potatoes are banned from entering the EU from third countries, with the exception of Switzerland. Switzerland has equivalency in terms of applying the EU Plant Health Directive.

Trader notices have issued to the Potato trade in this regard, and all advice to Irish growers is to ensure that UK seed is supplied before the end of March in order to facilitate the 2019 planting season. There will then be at least another 9 months before the 2020 planting season for the European Commission to consider requests from the UK for amendment to Annex III of the Plant Health directive based on a detailed scientific justification as to why the amendment is warranted.

Under that same EU Plant Health Directive, ware potatoes (for consumption) are banned from entering the EU from third countries, with certain exceptions. For ware potatoes to enter the EU from the UK in a no deal exit scenario, all consignments of such potatoes must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate issued by the UK Plant Health authorities and notified in advance, on the basis of being a third country recognised as free from Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. Sepedonicus(Ring Rot), as well as complying with EU Plant Health Directive Annex IV requirements for various other pests and diseases. These procedures are well established for other third countries trading into Ireland.

Photo of Lisa ChambersLisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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508. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Ireland has formally applied for a relaxation of agricultural state-aid rules as a result of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5557/19]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The agrifood sector is of critical importance to the Irish economy, and its regional spread means it underpins the socio-economic development of rural areas in particular. As such, Brexit has the potential to have a very significant impact on farmers and on the agrifood sector throughout Ireland.

I and my officials have been working very hard for quite some time to sensitise other Member States and the European Commission to the potentially very severe impacts of Brexit on the Irish agrifood and fisheries sectors, and to the likelihood of specific supports being required in order to deal with these impacts. The institutions of the European Union are very well aware of the likelihood of a significant impact of a disorderly Brexit on Ireland’s economy because this has been part of the discussion from the beginning, and indeed this is explicitly recognised in the Commission’s own communication on contingency planning.

Most recently, I held a bilateral meeting with Commissioner Hogan last week to discuss the potential impact of a disorderly Brexit on the Irish agrifood and fisheries sectors. We discussed the unique exposure of these sectors to the threat of a disorderly Brexit, and the challenges that it could present. I stressed the need to be ready to deploy a range of measures to mitigate the potential impacts on farmers and processors, including through traditional market supports and exceptional aid under the CAP's Single Common Market Organisation regulation, as well as increased flexibility under State Aid regulations, which has already been the subject of discussions with the Commission. Commissioner Hogan reiterated the EU’s readiness to respond and support Ireland, and we will remain in contact on these issues as the situation evolves.

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