Ireland continues to have serious concerns about the latest agriculture proposals tabled last week at the WTO negotiations, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin warned today.
Attending his first EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels this morning, Minister Martin said that the imbalance in the proposals made them unacceptable.
Speaking at the meeting, which was also attended by European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, both France and Ireland argued that there was no basis for negotiating a WTO deal.
Micheál Martin
The Minister said “the risk of serious damage to European agriculture from an unsatisfactory WTO deal must be of grave concern to everyone in Europe, producers and consumers alike. This is particularly the case at a time when food security is looming as potentially a major issue for the future.
“We are concerned that new market realities and emerging food security issues are being ignored in the rush towards an early deal,” he added.
The minister also warned that any trade agreement must not undermine Ireland’s agricultural interests.
“We want a WTO agreement as much as any other Member State, but it must be fair and balanced in respect of what the EU is being asked to concede and what it is receiving in return,” said Martin.
The draft proposal on agriculture, which was circulated on May 19th included for the first time a formula for cutting farm subsidies and tariffs as part of wider negotiations.
France claimed today the latest agriculture proposals represented a step backwards.
Anne-Marie Idrac, France's junior trade minister, said the proposals being discussed at the Doha trade talks were "less ambitious and balanced than ever".
However, Mr Mandelson said he had backing from the bloc to press on and try to secure improvements for the EU.
"The view expressed that the conditions do not exist for the round to be concluded successfully was a very small minority view," he told reporters after today’s meeting.
Mr Mandelson said he had "overwhelming support" to press on with the Doha round talks to open up world trade, which are now in their seventh year.
Last week the Irish Farmers’ Association warned farmers must be given a guarantee that the Government will veto the world trade talks if the deal would damage Irish agriculture.
IFA representative Séamus O’Brien said the up-to-date proposals hold “no ambiguity”.
He claimed: “There are no gains for Ireland or Europe in what is on this table. Europe is throwing away our bargaining power.”
The current round of trade talks began in Doha, Qatar, in late 2001, and governments have moved in fits and starts since then, trying to wrap up a deal that would offer the first mandated cuts in farm subsidies by the US, the European Union, Japan and other rich nations. The 152-nation group is trying to seal the framework of an accord by the end of June.
Additional reporting: agencies
