The Leinster House visit to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (DAFF) Joint Committee at the Chairman’s invitation, provided the Minister with an opportunity to exchange views on a range of agriculture issues. She also discussed specific issues including; the CAP Health Check, WTO negotiations, disease eradication, bio-security and the fishing industry.
Following the meeting, the Minister said: “We had a useful exchange of views on the CAP Health Check. While this is not a fundamental reform of the CAP, it will cover a number of significant issues such as simplification of the Single Farm Payment, abolition of set-aside, the ending of milk quotas in 2015, modulation, changes to the model of decoupling and further decoupling in other EU Member States. The ensuing discussion was very beneficial in reaching a common understanding of respective views on these matters”.
The Minister also raised the issue of the current World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations, saying that: “I took the opportunity today to express my concerns at the potential detrimental impact a WTO deal could have on the agricultural industry and the beef sector in particular. Any agreement must be a balanced one which does not see the sector sacrificed, either, for the sake of a deal, or for minimal gains elsewhere in the negotiations on industrial goods and services. ”
Notes to Editors:
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