Allister meets Cairns in Brussels
01 September 2006
At a meeting today in Brussels with Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, David Cairns MP, Jim Allister MEP raised a variety of issues, including:-
• the need to get a substantial increase in the prawn quota for 2007 and a replacement for the failed Cod Recovery Scheme closures;
• the necessity of obtaining regional variation in setting voluntary modulation under the Rural Development programme;
• no further concessions should be made in the final negotiations with Brussels over the action programme for the implementation of the Nitrates Directive;
• the end date for completion of works under the FNMS must be extended to December 2008 and the Minister must commit to the money needed for the scheme;
• the Department must join in lobbying the Commission to reinstate export refunds on milk powder to a level capable of providing a viable return for milk producers;
• the over-zealous inspection process and imposition of penalties in respect of Single Farm Payments, when compared with other countries.
Commenting afterwards Mr Allister said, "This was another opportunity to press upon the Minister the imperative of DARD vigorously addressing a range of pressing issues. On each issue we will watch to see what progress is made, determined that the best deal possible is got for Northern Ireland on all these matters."
