HOWLIN WELCOMES LABOUR MOVE TO REOPEN SUGAR QUOTA NEGOTIATION AT EU LEVEL
19th January 2011
I greatly welcome the initiative announced today by the Labour Party's Agriculture Spokesperson, Seán Sherlock, TD, (see below) that our Party is to seek to re-open negotiations on sugar production in this country.
The mismanagement of the then Agriculture Minister, Mary Coughlan, deprived County Wexford of a vital cash crop and our country of an important industry.
It is timely now to revisit this important issue which must be a priority for the next Minister for Agriculture and the next government.
STATEMENT BY SEAN SHERLOCK TD
Labour Party Spokesperson on Agriculture and Food
LABOUR SEEKS TO REOPEN SUGAR QUOTA NEGOTIATION AT EU LEVEL
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
The Labour Party will seek to re-open negotiations on sugar production on the possibility of regaining sugar quota when the matter comes up for review at EU level.
The commitment follows last week's hearing of the Oireachtas Agricultural Committee at which it was stated that Ireland could not have access to sugar quota at this time.
Sean Sherlock said: "What this means in real terms is that Ireland is not allowed to produce sugar for the EU domestic market nor for export to countries outside the EU. However, the review of the current EU sugar regime scheduled to take place in 2014 must be seized as an opportunity to secure an allocation of tonnage or quota to enable Ireland produce sugar again.
"While this is an issue dominated by countries such as Germany and France the Labour Party will adopt a strong position and we will be seeking a feasibility study involving all stakeholders and a renegotiation at European level through intense dialogue with our European partners.
"We had a quota of 200,000 tonnes which we lost in 2005 because of the decision to close the industry which we now know was a mistake and should never have happened.
"The Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament and the next Minister for Agriculture will play a key role. Labour will seek to ensure that the next programme for government will include a commitment to a political discussion at EU level with a view to including Ireland in a sugar quota allocation post 2015."
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