Speaking at the PAI conference on Brexit today, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Affairs Phil Hogan reiterated the severity of the UK’s decision to leave the EU on Irish agriculture.

“Ireland is the member state that is most heavily dependent on the UK market for both exports and imports. Forty-five per cent of Irish exports are destined for the UK. Fifty-three per cent of Irish beef, 57% of cheese and 78% of live animals are exported to the UK,” Hogan said. “Together, these three sectors account for almost half of Irish agri-food exports to the UK, the full value of which is almost €5 billion annually. Half of agri-food imports into Ireland, worth €4.3 billion, come from the UK. Finally, 52% of agri-food exports from Northern Ireland come to Ireland.”

Post-Brexit relationship

There has been a lot of discussions surrounding the future of the relationship between the EU and the UK but Hogan said much of this has been “misinformed”. However, he did say that the EU will stick to its rules and fundamental values during negotiations.

Country-of-origin labelling is also a grey area when it comes to Brexit, particularly north and south of the border. In his speech, Hogan quoted Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, who recently asked "when you mix milk from the queen's cows with Paddy's cows, what do you get ? Irish butter, sour cream or Irish milk. That's an issue because labelling is part of what we do."

The decision of the people of the UK has created an unprecedented situation. It will require a new relationship between the UK and the European Union and a new relationship between Ireland and the UK.

“Brexit represents potentially the most profound single change in the relationship between Ireland and the UK since independence. It could have huge implications for the trading relationship, as evidenced already in some way arising from the fall in the value of sterling.”

Issues

While much of the debate about the post-Brexit landscape has inevitably focused on the movement of people and trade in goods, there are many other issues which Hogan highlighted. Financial services, energy supply, energy cooperation, security issues, migration and tourism between Ireland and the UK will all be affected.

“Much has been said and written about Brexit both before and since the referendum. I would regard where we are today as not so much a phoney war but no man's land,” Hogan said. “The next few years will be challenging for all of us. No matter who we represent – the Irish government, the British government or the European Union – we all want to have a series of post-Brexit constructive relationships.”

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