Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, has confirmed that October 28 this year will be a key date in the evolution of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Speaking to Agriland at the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) annual conference this week, he inferred that the October date is the deadline that has been set for the calling of new elections in Northern Ireland.
This would be the inevitable out-working of a failure on the part of the political parties at Stormont to agree the establishment of a functioning Executive.
Coveney stressed repeatedly the key role of the Protocol in delivering a fully functioning all-island agri-food economy. He made specific reference to the ongoing fortunes of the dairy, beef and sheep sectors in this context.
He is hopeful, however, that Brussels and London can settle their Protocol differences over the coming weeks.
Northern Ireland Protocol
The foreign minister believes that the UK is using the Northern Ireland Protocol legislation, currently making its way through Westminster, as a negotiating ploy.
He also confirmed the commitment of the European Union to be as flexible as possible, when it comes to the full implementation of the Protocol.
However, all future arrangements must be based within a scenario, which sees Northern Ireland remaining inside the EU Single Market for goods, he explained.
Minister Coveney refused to be drawn on what might happen if the UK continues to commit to the Northern Ireland Protocol legislation. However, he did indicate that such a scenario would put tremendous pressure on the functioning of an all-island agri-food economy.
The minister also admitted that the chances of getting a Protocol deal settled, should the political parties in Northern Ireland switch to electioneering mode, drop to zero.
Climate
Turning to the issue of climate change, Coveney said that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets set for agriculture are achievable.
He stressed the need for farming to do its part in meeting the challenge of global warming. However, he also foresees a very bright future for production agriculture and food processing in Ireland.
He claimed that the same levels of output can be obtained using lower levels of chemical fertiliser while a range of new technologies will allow farmers to lower the carbon footprint of their businesses in an effective manner.
The minister went on to point out that the principle of ‘sustainable intensification’ is as relevant today as it was when the phrase was first coined by him almost a decade ago.
