Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan has received assurances from EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson that any deal reached at the Doha trade talks would be balanced and fair to Irish farmers.
Ms Coughlan met Mr Mandelson in Brussels today where both agreed on the imperative of achieving a balanced outcome to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.
After the meeting Ms Coughlan said she expressed to the Commissioner her view that what was on the table at the trade talks at the moment was not balanced.
In a statment, Mr Mandelson said he assured Ms Coughlan that the European Commission recognises Ireland's concerns and “shares its insistence on a balanced outcome in the Doha talks, while taking into account the development dimension of the Doha Development Agenda”.
“A successful outcome of the Doha talks is far from certain, and while we will continue to work for a deal, there is no question of bringing home a deal that is not balanced. That means a deal that has clear gains for Ireland,” he said.
”Ireland benefits from an open trading system and a global economy. It is how a country with four million people can dominate 4 per cent of global services market and become a leading global exporter.
Mr Mandelson said Ireland's economy is dominated by industrial goods and services and it would benefit from a successful and balanced global trade deal along with the rest of Europe.
He said: “The Commission will continue to reject extreme agricultural demands from some of our trading partners in the Doha Round.
“Everyone is committed to helping Irish farmers meet these challenges and to ensuring that trade policy contribute to growth and jobs in Ireland. There is no question of abandoning European or Irish farming in the course of these negotiations," he added.