Irish farmers link EU treaty vote with trade talks
By Honor Mahony
Irish farmers were out in force on the streets of Dublin on Thursday (17 April) to protest against forthcoming world trade talks in Switzerland and warn the government that the nature of the trade deal would affect how the group votes on the EU treaty in June.
Over 10,000 farmers protested in front of parliament in a rally that coincided with a visit by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to the Irish capital to persuade voters of the merits of the treaty.
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Padraig Walshe, president of the Irish Farmers Association, said that decisions taken by EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson in Geneva in May, where a breakthrough on the Doha round of trade liberalisation talks is expected, would have a direct bearing on the treaty referendum.
"Don't come back from Geneva having sold us out. Thousands of workers in the food industry will lose their jobs, hundreds of businesses will have to close down. Don't expect us to do your bidding in the referendum," he said, according to the Irish Independent.
"Sell us out and we will have our say on the 12th of June," said Mr Walshe to the crowd.
The agricultural sector continues to represent an important part of Irish society and the government is keen to woo them into the yes camp for the treaty vote, due to take place on 12 June.
Farmers fear that any concessions the EU makes during the trade talks in order to broker a deal - both the EU and the US are facing pressure from poorer regions to cut back their agricultural subsidies and tariffs - will result in them being worse off.
Mr Barroso told the Forum on Europe in Dublin that he was "very attentive to the concerns of the farmers in Ireland."
The Irish Times reports him as saying that it was in Europe's interests to get a deal soon at the World Trade Organisation.
He pointed out that Ireland has four percent of the global market in traded services, so a trade deal would be important for the country.
Mr Barroso also reassured Irish voters on tax issues - the government is strongly against any moves towards an EU tax - and said that "on June 12th the Irish people will be sending a message to the rest of Europe and the wider world."