Failure in the current round of trade talks risks serious damage to European agriculture, Minister for Trade and Commerce John McGuinness said today.
Mr McGuinness said Ireland has "serious concerns" on developments in Geneva in the World Trade Organisation/DDA round of trade talks.
Speaking following a meeting of EU trade ministers and the General Affairs Council (GAERC) Mr McGuinness said that Ireland, like many partners in the talks, has concerns about "the nature of the offer in the current texts".
"We welcome the recognition in today's council conclusions that improvements are needed if the negotiations are to move forward," he said.
"We support the Commission in seeking those improvements which we believe must be substantial."
"These are areas of substantial potential for the Irish economy as a whole. In addition benefits accruing from a strong multilateral rules based system will continue to provide certainty and security for Irish exporters," Mr McGuinness said.