Yesterday, July 7th, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Barry Cowen T.D., met via video conference with European Commissioner for Trade, Phil Hogan, and spoke via telephone conference call with his Northern Ireland counterpart, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Edwin Poots MLA.
Joined by his colleagues, Ministers of State Senator Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon TD, the discussions took place as part of a range of engagements by Minister Cowen with key interlocutors since taking office.
Speaking after the conclusion of yesterday’s engagements, Minister Cowen said: “I was very glad to have the opportunity today to establish contact with Commissioner Hogan and with Minister Poots. Brexit was, of course, a common theme of both discussions.
“I had a very useful exchange with Commissioner Hogan on the current state of play in the EU-UK negotiations, and took the opportunity to reiterate Ireland’s agri-food and fisheries concerns, including in relation to the potential economic impact post-December 2020, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations.
“Similarly, my conversation with Minister Poots was very constructive, and covered North-South trading arrangements post-Brexit, implementation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol, and the prospects for the wider EU-UK discussions on the future relationship.”
Recent Comments