Mr Downey said: “Commissioner Ciolos’ ‘wait and see’ approach in response to the Russian ban is simply not good enough. Now is the time for taking pre-emptive action, to prevent damage to the market for exports”.
He continued: “The Commissioner must employ all of the market support tools at his disposal under the new CAP to prevent further price disruption.”
Eddie Downey insisted that EU financial resources outside the CAP budget must be used to support markets as the trade ban is neither a normal market disturbance nor a natural disaster as envisioned in the CAP crisis fund.
"Irish farmers must get the one per cent of SFP withheld for the Crisis Fund refunded in full.
"It is unacceptable that Irish and EU farmers are being made to bear the economic burden in the EU’s geopolitical dispute with Russia”.
He concluded: “I am calling on Minister Coveney to make immediate contact with Commissioner Ciolos and insist that the Council of Farm Ministers meet immediately to deliver an immediate and effective response to this market upheaval”.
