110 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the action he has taken to have the EU Commission's negotiating mandate for WTO talks on trade in agriculture and food altered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25090/01]

The mandate given to the European Commission in respect of the World Trade Organisation agriculture negotiations was adopted by the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers on 27 September 1999 and subsequently endorsed by the General Affairs Council of Ministers. It was based largely on the Agenda 2000 agreement adopted by the European Council in Berlin in March 1999. I am satisfied that this negotiating mandate provides a satisfactory framework for protecting the interests of Irish agriculture in the forthcoming negotiations.