Ireland’s Food Minister, Michael Creed, has called for the EU to adopt a “flexible” approach to any dairy aid package, insisting currency uncertainty in the wake of Brexit and the country’s “unique” trading relationship with the UK should be taken into account.

Speaking at the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers in Luxembourg, Creed, Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said he had asked Phil Hogan, the EU’s Agriculture Commissioner, to consider the “deployment of a further targeted aid package” for dairy farmers, similar to a package to support the sector introduced by the EU last September. “This gave considerable flexibility to member states to adopt responses suited to their national circumstances, and I believe such a measure could play a further important role in 2016. The key word here is flexibility and it would be important not to attach conditionality or complications to such targeted aid,” Creed argued. 

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Creed also noted the need for any package to acknowledge the changing currency situation in the wake of the UK’s referendum on EU membership and Ireland’s trading relationship with the country.

“I believe our focus must remain on providing real, practical and immediate assistance for farmers. In addition to intervention, I have called for the deployment of other measures that will provide real benefit for farmers in the short-term including the bringing forward of the delivery date for direct payments. Last year member states were also able to pay an advance of 70%, and I have again asked the Commission to consider raising this percentage further in 2016,” Creed revealed.

In 2015, Ireland’s food and drink exports to the UK were worth an estimated EUR4.4bn (US$4.85bn) after rising 7% on 2014. Sales to the UK accounted for 41% of the value of Ireland’s food and drink shipments last year, which totalled EUR10.83bn.

See Also:

On Friday, Bord Bia, the government agency that promotes Ireland’s food and drink industries domestically and abroad, said Brexit “represents a significant challenge” to the sectors.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.