THE Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, and the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler, will meet in Brussels on Wednesday to attempt to resolve differences over fines totalling £93 million imposed on Ireland as a result of irregularities in the beef trade in 1990/91.
Over £75 million of the fines derive directly from the findings of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Processing Industry and an additional £18 million is being levied over what the EU considers to have been irregularities in tendering for intervention meat contracts.
The EU has placed a deadline of January 31st for resolution of the fines issue, which is being disputed at all levels by the Department and the Government.
While the present Government and its predecessor have stated that they intend to recoup whatever fines are levied from the meat companies involved, many of these companies are no longer trading or have begun trading as new entities.
There has been intensive lobbying of other EU member states since the demands for repayments were first made by Brussels.
Mr Fischler has the ultimate power to propose a reduction in the level of the fines, the largest ever sought from an EU member state by the Commission. However, the full Commission must also agree to any reduction.
Mr Yates said last November that a 50 per cent cut in the amount sought would not be acceptable. A much greater reduction was needed, he added.