Irish farmers could, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, obtain emergency aid of several hundred million euros from the EU budget to compensate them for the collapse in beef and dairy prices, according to an article published in The Sunday Times on 3 February.
This kind of aid could benefit other countries and other agricultural sectors particularly affected by a disorderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom, such as Dutch flowers or milk and pork produced in Denmark.
Michael Creed, the Irish Minister of Agriculture, and Phil Hogan, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, discussed this subject in Brussels on 28 January.
A support scheme has already been used in the past to provide support to European producers affected by the Russian embargo on EU agricultural products.
The Commission recalls that last November it had already presented possible support measures for Ireland, in particular in the event of no-deal Brexit.
The Commission says it is "ready" to engage now with those Member States that will be most affected by a disorderly withdrawal by the United Kingdom and to “explore pragmatic and efficient support solutions, in line with EU state aid law.”
The Commission underlines that it will support Ireland in finding solutions to the specific problems faced by Irish companies.
Technical assistance. EU technical and financial assistance can also be made available in certain areas (training of customs officials under the Customs 2020programme, training in the area of sanitary and phytosanitary controls).
As far as agriculture is concerned, EU law provides for a series of instruments to deal with the most immediate effects of the United Kingdom's withdrawal, particularly in a no-deal scenario, the Commission reiterates.
Irish agriculture exports 90% of its total production, 43% of which goes to the United Kingdom. Among the products potentially impacted, beef is in first place. In 2017, Ireland shipped more than half of its beef production to the United Kingdom, 283,000 tonnes, compared to 240,000 tonnes to continental Europe and only 34,000 tonnes outside the EU. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)