Allister lobbies UK Government on dioxin compensation
04 February 2009
Jim Allister MEP has written to DEFRA Secretary of State, Hilary Benn and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling urging them to intervene on behalf of the local agri-food sector, as farmers and processors struggles to deal with the costs associated with December’s dioxin crisis.
The MEP commented,
“Our Executive has wasted 8 weeks chasing the Irish Government for access to its Pigmeat recall scheme to cover some of the costs Northern Ireland producers and processors have incurred. I understand that written confirmation has now been received from the Irish Government, which states Irish grant aid will only be spent in the Republic. Indeed, this confirms what we have known for some time now, that the European Commission only gave State aid approval for the Irish scheme to operate in that jurisdiction, and not in Northern Ireland.”
“The Northern Ireland Executive has shifted from a position of providing no compensation to the pork processors and beef farmers affected, to a situation where they propose to cover 25% of costs. Clearly, the current offer is wholly inadequate so far as enabling this important industry and employer meet the massive costs which they have incurred to date, and I fear, in safeguarding jobs in the medium to long term.”
“If the Executive cannot afford to provide full compensation to our agri-food industry, then they have a duty to make representations at Member State level for the additional funds required. I have been informed by the European Commission that up to 50% EU co-financing is available for a Northern Ireland compensation scheme, if our own Member State provides the match funding element. The UK Government must demonstrate the same support for one of Northern Ireland’s most important industries as has been demonstrated by the Irish Government to producers and processors in that jurisdiction.”
ENDS
