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| IFA WTO Campaign Unanimous Decision |
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| Written by Donald Cronin | |
| Friday, 09 May 2008 | |
 Padraig Walshe, IFA President said “members of the Executive Council were clear and forthright in their determination to continue their resistance to Mandelson’s WTO deal that would wipe out the livestock sector, and they are resolutely prepared to defend rural Ireland and over 100,000 jobs in farming and the food industry.” Padraig said reports from every single IFA county executive in the country indicated that farmers were not going to vote against their interests in the forthcoming referendum, and there was a clear linkage between Mandelson’s WTO concessions and the Lisbon Treaty. Padraig Walshe stated, “While the new EU Consolidated Treaty, as amended by the Lisbon Treaty, contains the original Treaty of Rome articles 38 – 44 establishing the Common Agricultural Policy, including the commitment to food security, Mandelson has blatantly disregarded the fundamental place of the Common Agricultural Policy in the EU Treaty.” The IFA President said the Treaty of Rome, which is the legal basis for the entire European project since 1957, contains very strong commitments to European food production with specific commitments to assure the availability of food supplies in order to stabilize markets and provide a fair standard of living for the agricultural community. “In his conniving and double-speak in Geneva, Peter Mandelson is knowingly tearing up fundamental Articles of the Treaty of Rome. Even before the ink is dry on the Lisbon Treaty, he would consign its provisions to the same fate,” said Padraig Walshe. The IFA President said the IFA Executive Council was also unanimous in the conclusion that the threat to farmers’ livelihoods from EU Commissioner Mandelson’s WTO cuts is the only obstacle to farmers voting YES in the Lisbon referendum. The IFA campaign to stop Mandelson’s Sell-Out will continue next week with a series of regional meetings with MEPs. The first meeting takes place on Monday May 12th in Carlow for the Ireland East constituency, followed by Mallow on Friday May 16th for the Ireland South constituency, and Knock on Friday May 23rd for Ireland North West constituency.      |
