EU: Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that British prime minister Tony Blair is being "dishonest" by seeking reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as part of a deal on the next EU budget.
He has also signalled that Ireland will not accept any reform of CAP to reinvigorate World Trade Organisation talks next month in Hong Kong.
"I find it dishonest when people say we can only clear up financial questions when we talk once more about the agricultural budget," said Mr Ahern, when asked if Britain was being dishonest over the handling of talks on agreeing the next EU budget.
"There are people who act as if the 2002 round of negotiations were non-binding talks. That's wrong. The European Council negotiated toughly and reached a solemn resolution. I didn't want this deal, it was painful, but I accepted it."
Mr Ahern's comments, which were published yesterday in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, reflect a growing unease among member states about Mr Blair's handling of negotiations on the 2007-2013 EU budget.
Britain, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, has said it will not agree a budget deal unless CAP is reformed and the budget is "modernised".
It wants to radically revise a budget proposal made in June under the Luxembourg presidency of the EU and has said it will not reduce its €4.7 billion rebate from EU coffers unless it gets its way.
However, 20 member states want to use the Luxembourg text as the basis for the negotiations on a new budget deal and oppose revisiting reforms to the CAP system in 2002 agreed by all member states.
Ireland, which receives about €1.4 billion a year in CAP receipts, is among the staunchest defenders of CAP, along with France and other farming nations.
"Our agriculture is still an important sector," Mr Ahern said. "We want to protect our countryside. I am no heartless capitalist, no right-wing extremist, no prime minister of billionaires. I engage myself for all areas of our society, also for agriculture."
Mr Ahern also ruled out accepting a reform of CAP in order to secure a deal in the current Doha round of World Trade Organisation talks.
"Our farmers have experienced many reforms in the last years, 1992, 1993, 1998 and again this year. Now I am told we have to carry out reforms to give a new impulse to the finance negotiations and the Doha round of the WTO. I cannot accept that."
Mr Blair is to hold informal talks on the budget with French president Jacques Chirac at the Euromed summit in Barcelona today. He will also meet leaders of seven of the 10 EU accession states this week in an attempt to advance the budget negotiations ahead of an EU ministerial meeting on the issue on December 7th.
The accession states have the most to lose from a failure to reach a budget deal in December as it could delay EU structural funds.
Mr Blair's official spokesman said yesterday that Britain was going to go for a deal.