Allister raises export refunds and pesticides with UK Permanent Representation
04 December 2008
Jim Allister MEP has met with the UK Permanent Representation to the EU, to press for support at EU Council level on export refunds and on far reaching pesticides proposals.
The MEP commented,
“It is imperative that the UK Government represents the interests of the Northern Ireland dairy industry in pushing for the early re-introduction of export refunds, in its representations to the Commission, and with the other Member States at Council level. Indeed, I also took the opportunity to highlight the absence of sufficient funding at a regional level to assist with the restructuring of our dairy industry, particularly if unspent CAP funds are not reallocated. We have seen where the French have awarded an extra 25 million to aid its sheep sector, while the German Government has announced a 350 million Dairy fund –clearly, our Rural Development Programme in its current form is a bit of a lame duck.”
“I also took the opportunity to present the concerns of our agricultural industry in relation to EU legislative proposals on Pesticides. Current proposals would cause enormous problems for the industry, in moving from a risk to a hazard based approach. The UK Government is not in favour of the proposals on pesticides in their current form, particularly in the absence of a full economic and environmental impact assessment having been carried out.”
ENDS
