Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness today said that latest World Trade Organisation (WTO) proposals showed EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson had made a "solo run" on agriculture talks.
Last Monday, the chairman of agriculture talks at the WTO distributed a revised negotiating text. New Zealander Crawford Falconer said he had tidied up the text to reflect areas where the past three months' talks had yielded agreement or convergence.
But Ms McGuinness, speaking in the European Parliament, said the situation had worsened in the WTO with the publication of the latest text and the decision of the trade commissioner to make concessions without reference to the agriculture commissioner.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson
“I welcome comments by the Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel that it will be very difficult to see a deal being done at the WTO if there is no balance between the agriculture and non-agriculture sectors.
“However, I believe we need much more this. The reality is that the trade commissioner [Mr Mandelson] is forging ahead with the talks, without reference to the negotiating mandate he has been given and there is now an urgent need for the Commission to reassert its collective responsibility over the trade negotiations."
“It is now up to the Commission to make a firm statement disassociating itself from the Mandelson moves and stating clearly what the implications for EU agriculture are of the latest texts," Ms McGuinness said.
She added that the WTO proposals confirmed it is too focused on liberalising trade in agriculture, with too little emphasis on non-agriculture and services and too much emphasis and concessions on agriculture.
The MEP also argued "more firm commitments" were needed from the Irish Government on its attitude to using the veto. “It is vital that the trade, agriculture and foreign affairs Ministers work in a co-ordinated way to defend Irish interests. To date, this level of engagement and cohesion has been sadly lacking."
The revised WTO text made no significant changes to the proposed headline cuts in tariffs and subsidies to be eventually agreed by ministers.
