Brussels, 12/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Council has expressed its support for the action taken by Ireland with regard to the pigmeat situation and for the precautionary measures which it adopted so swiftly in view of the problem of dioxin contamination on some farms. In conclusions adopted on Friday 12 December, the European Council called on the European Commission to provide support for farmers and abattoirs in Ireland by co-financing measures to remove the meat and meat products at issue from the market. These events “provide a further indication of the influence that the EU has on our daily lives,” Taoiseach Brian Cowen told press. He added that, “because of the protocols that exist at EU level, markets were not closed down against us unilaterally and the European Food Safety Agency were able to confirm to all of the markets in the EU that our food was safe, we took the precautionary principle seriously”. Furthermore, the European Council highlighted the importance of the agreement reached in Council in November on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) “health check”, without further comment at this point, because of differences between countries on the purpose and future of the CAP. (L.C./transl.rt)