Agriculture JC 17 November 2000
Agriculture Sector
Greenmount College, Antrim, Friday 17 November 2000
Joint Communiqué
1. The second meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in its Agriculture Sectoral Format was held at Greenmount College, Antrim, on Friday, 17 November 2000. The Northern Ireland Executive Committee Delegation comprised Ms Bríd Rogers, MLA, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who chaired the meeting, and Mr Sam Foster, MLA, Minister of the Environment. The Irish Government was represented by Mr Joe Walsh, TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. The full list of those attending the meeting is attached.
2. The meeting dealt with issues relating to enhanced co-operation in agricultural matters. Both sides reiterated the importance of the role of the Council in furthering synergies in this vital sector and looked forward to continued progress to mutual benefit.
Animal and Plant Health Research and Development
3. The NSMC received a report which set out the current position on the developments in progressing further joint collaborations in this area. The Council noted with satisfaction the high level of existing co-operation and agreed the approach set out to identify those areas with the greatest potential for further research collaboration and co-operation.
4. The Council also approved a proposed timetable for future work.
North/South Co-operation on Animal Health Policy/Operations
5. Both Administrations attach particular importance to animal health and the value to both parts of the island of enhanced co-operation. The NSMC accordingly endorsed proposals to formalise liaison arrangements at official level on animal health matters. These proposals related to:
- the establishment of a Strategic Steering Group which will replace the existing arrangements, co-ordinate animal health policy on the island and make regular reports to the NSMC on co-operation on animal health matters together with recommendations for policy and/or operational decisions;
- the establishment of Policy Working Groups which will consider policy issues on animal health which apply to the whole island. Initially, Working Groups will be created to explore 8 different areas and the Groups will be stood down or new ones formed, as required; and
- continued co-operation in operational aspects of schemes.
6. The Council also requested that the new Strategic Steering Group prepare an initial report on animal health on the island of Ireland for the next North/South Ministerial Council meeting in its Agriculture Sectoral Format with a view to the development, by March 2002, of joint strategies for the improvement of animal health on both sides of the border.
Summary of the Draft Report on the Joint Study of the Pig Industry
7. In December 1999, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Bríd Rogers, MLA, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Mr Joe Walsh, TD, announced the commissioning of a study of Pig Meat Processing on the island. Consultants were appointed in April 2000 to consider the issue of processing capacity in the context of the future outlook for the pig industry.
8. This study is now being brought to a conclusion. The NSMC noted the progress made since commissioning the study and looked forward to receiving the final report at an early stage.
Steering Committee on Cross-Border Rural Development (SCCBRD)
9. Following the decision of the Council at its first meeting in Agriculture Sectoral Format in June 2000, the SCCBRD was reconstituted with approved Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure. Membership of the Committee comprises officials from the Rural Development Divisions of the two Departments of Agriculture, representatives from the Special EU Programmes Body, officials from the NSMC Joint Secretariat and, as appropriate, officials of other Departments and Agencies.
10. The NSMC noted that the reconstituted Committee had held its first meeting on 29 September 2000. The NSMC also endorsed the proposed programme of work for the SCCBRD which forms the basis for a cross-border strategy for rural development within the structural funds timeframe 2000-2006. The Council asked the SCCBRD to
- draw up a short list of priority issues, relevant to the needs of rural communities, on which joint demonstrations or pilot models of cross-border actions could be engaged or identified for priority action;
- to exchange information on experience and best practice on rural development in both jurisdictions; and
- to provide a progress report to its next meeting in this sectoral format.
Less Favoured Area (LFA) Payments
11. The NSMC noted the high level of interaction between the two Departments during the respective negotiations with the EU Commission, with particular regard to the provision for an adequate safety net to protect farmers who may be detrimentally affected under the new arrangements.
12. The Council also agreed that such co-operation should be maintained during the implementation of the schemes.
WTO and CAP Reform
13. The Council also discussed the forthcoming WTO Round, EU Enlargement and reviews of the Common Agricultural Policy in the context of Agenda 2000. Ministers agreed that these were extremely important issues for the future of the agricultural industries on the whole island of Ireland and recognised the need for close co-operation to ensure that any outcomes impacted fairly on the agri-sectors on both sides of the border and avoided trade distortions as between North and South. Ministers agreed to liaise closely on these issues as the negotiations progress with the objective of ensuring that the outcome has the least adverse effect on the farming sectors in both parts of the island.
Budgetary Provision for North/South Implementation Bodies
14. The Council agreed final recommendations for the budgets for the six Implementation Bodies for the period 2001 to 2003. These have been approved by the Finance Ministers, and will now go forward as part of the estimates processes North and South for approval by the Assembly and the Dail respectively. The recommended allocations are attached in the Annex.
Date of Next Meeting
15. The Council agreed that its next meeting in this sectoral format will take place in the South in February 2001.
Joint Secretariat
17 November 2000
ANNEX
| Body | DOF/DFP agreed recommended allocations 2001 Total Cost @ IR£1=Stg75p |
Northern contribution to budgets 2001 |
Southern contribution to budgets 2001 |
Staff Nos. |
Projected budget provisions 2002 |
Projected budget provisions 2003 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IR £m |
Stg £m |
IR £m |
Stg £m |
IR £m |
Stg £m |
IR £m |
Stg £m |
IR £m |
Stg £m |
||
| Water ways Ireland | 25.09 |
18.82 |
3.02 |
2.26 |
22.07 |
16.55 |
362 |
28.93 |
21.70 |
31.11 |
23.33 |
Language Body: Irish Lang Ulster Scots |
15.23 13.50 1.73 |
11.42 10.12 1.29 |
4.67 3.37 1.29 |
3.50 2.53 .97 |
10.56 10.12 .43 |
7.92 7.59 .32 |
77 65 12 |
16.04 14.13 1.90 |
12.03 10.60 1.43 |
16.85 14.76 2.09 |
12.64 11.07 1.57 |
| Food Safety Prom otion Board | 6.50 |
4.87 |
1.95 |
1.46 |
4.55 |
3.41 |
30 |
6.81 |
5.11 |
7.10 |
5.33 |
| Trade & Business Devnt. Body | 11.50 |
8.63 |
3.83 |
2.88 |
7.67 |
5.75 |
42 |
11.80 |
8.87 |
12.15 |
9.12 |
| Special EU Progs Body | 1.59 |
1.20 |
0.79 |
0.60 |
0.79 |
0.60 |
25 |
1.33 |
1.00 |
1.46 |
1.10 |
FCILC: Loughs Lights |
2.59 2.55 |
1.94 1.91 |
0.78 |
0.58 |
1.81 2.55 |
1.36 1.91 |
43 317 |
3.81 2.55 |
2.86 1.91 |
4.31 2.55 |
3.23 1.91 |
65.05 |
48.79 |
15.04 |
11.28 |
50.00 |
37.50 |
896 |
71.27 |
53.48 |
75.53 |
56.66 |