Brexit: Irish and French farmers ‘hugely in support of EU line’

Irish and French farming organisation have said they are at one in supporting European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier and the withdrawal agreement between the EU and the UK.

British prime minister Theresa May is expected on Tuesday to try again to win a vote on the withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons.

"We are hugely in support of the EU line and Michel Barnier's work as chief negotiator," Irish Farmers' Association president Joe Healy said on Monday at the end of a bilateral meeting in Dublin with the French farming organisation the FNSEA.

His sentiments were echoed by FNSEA president Christiane Lambert, who was accompanied by her organisation's vice-president, Henri Brichart; and its director, Arnold Puech d'Alissac.

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"No-deal [Brexit] would be very damaging to farmers in France, Ireland and the whole of Europe, as well as for consumers," said Ms Lambert. "This is why we agree that the EU must stay very firm on the withdrawal agreement. We believe it is important to find a solution."

Ms Lambert said British politicians continued to debate and fight among themselves.

“The UK must live up to its responsibilities,” she said. “It is up to us to remind them of that in the name of the farmers we represent.

“I am not fatalistic and I hope that reason will prevail. The human, economic, financial and every other possible social stakes are such that I hope there will be a change in the attitude [in the UK].

“Week after week, companies announce that they are going to leave the UK, the population is getting worried, including with regard to the price of food, because the UK is very dependent on imports for food, which is the primary need of people, especially the least-well-off.”

Intelligence

She remarked, to laughter, that she is "betting on the intelligence of politicians" to engineer a soft Brexit.

Both she and Mr Healy pointed out that the UK produced only 60 per cent of its food needs. A full third of the remaining 40 per cent came from 10 EU member states.

The Cap has proven itself as to what it can do from an economic, rural economy perspective, and food quality. What would agriculture be without the Cap?

For the French agri-food sector, the UK is an important market for wine, dairy produce, cereals, fruit and vegetables and fish, said Ms Lambert, but the negative impact of a no-deal Brexit would be felt by all.

“The negative economic implications are the same for the UK, for France, for Ireland and for the rest of the European Union. The figures are so high that we will only comment on this aspect of it when all the votes are out of the way.”

Agricultural produce not going to the UK after Brexit would have to find an alternative market.

“Put all that food back out on an EU market that is already fully serviced,” said Mr Healy, “and you might have some idea of the huge problems that is going to create right across Europe.”

Cap lobbying

Both organisations are lobbying the EU not to make cuts to the Common Agriculture Policy – a prospect that has been flagged because of Brexit – while simultaneously looking to farmers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental protections.

“There can’t be a cut to the Cap budget and the EU can’t allow a situation to occur where countries that remain loyal to the EU are worse off as a result,” said Mr Healy. “It would be a very negative signal for the EU to be putting out there.”

Cap represented “about 35 per cent of the EU budget which itself only amounts to about one per cent of all public expenditure in the European union,” said Ms Lambert, suggesting that Cap was good value for money.

“The Cap has proven itself as to what it can do from an economic, rural economy perspective, and food quality. What would agriculture be without the Cap? What would Ireland be without agriculture? What would France be without agriculture?” she asked.