Food island
Błażej Karwowski: Why are you in Poland?
Brendan Smith: This is the major food exhibition fair in Central and Eastern Europe [CEE]. It is the first time that Bord Bia [the Irish Food Board] has taken a stand here. We see the opportunity with the developing economy to grow our relatively small trade with your country and our specific business is to come up [with ways] to suit the sale of food.
What type of food?
There has been a particular focus on meat at this particular exhibition and nine of our major companies have taken part along with Bord Bia in the food exhibition. Bord Bia has offices in quite a number of European capitals. The fact that they have a stand here, in your city, shows that we will be putting more emphasis on CEE.
Naturally, we have a very strong exporting business from our country. Our economy is very, very dependent on trade [and] on exports. We export 85 percent of the food products we produce in Ireland to 170 countries. In 2004 we exported EUR7.1 (zł.29.84) billion. About 80 percent of our beef exports went to other EU member states and the remainder went to Russia. We have a recognition that we're a 'food island', we have very, very high standards in the health, safety and quality of food.
What is the advantage of Irish products against competition?
Our competitive advantage is the quality of our product. Over the past number of years our food industry, through innovation, research and development, has produced new products to meet the changing consumer demands. And we recognize that in all developing economies there will be increasing affluence, different eating habits, [and] changing lifestyles. And our companies over the past number of years have gone about producing the products to meet consumers' emerging demands.
What is the future of EU agriculture policy?
At the EU level, there will be increasing demand on the budget made available for the CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] and before Poland joined the EU our country stated very clearly that we would build alliances with countries who have similar interests to ourselves.
The decisions are not near reach in relation to what the financial parameters will be post-2007. There will be difficulties and there are many competing pressures in relation to the overall finances of the European Union. Agriculture will come under pressure and there is a lot of work to be done to achieve the outcome that we wish. I am sure that your country will have a similar view.
We might have some common interests regarding the CAP. Do you think there would be an alliance of countries that would lobby to obtain more money?
There is already an alliance of five plus one, and Poland is the one new member of that alliance. There are informal alliances.
Agriculture production looks set to become more expensive. Do you think Europe or Ireland could become a specialty food producer over the next few years?
In regard to the food sector overall, what we want to see is the economies of the 25 European countries grow, because we believe when that happens there are higher levels of disposable income, [and] a more affluent society. With [that] people are in a position to buy food products that they wish and I think then it's up to the agriculture sector to produce the products that the consumer demands.
A recent scandal in Poland revealed one meat producer that was returning spoiled, out-of-date food to consumers. Do certificates issued in Brussels mean anything?
I am not going to comment on the individual case that you mentioned, but it's up to each member state to implement the regulatory regime that is applicable throughout the European Union. It is an obligation and a serious duty. Because we work on a single-market system, we depend on our fellow members implementing the regulatory regime as we would implement it. There is no room for complacency; safety and standards cannot be compromised.
Brendan Smith: This is the major food exhibition fair in Central and Eastern Europe [CEE]. It is the first time that Bord Bia [the Irish Food Board] has taken a stand here. We see the opportunity with the developing economy to grow our relatively small trade with your country and our specific business is to come up [with ways] to suit the sale of food.
What type of food?
There has been a particular focus on meat at this particular exhibition and nine of our major companies have taken part along with Bord Bia in the food exhibition. Bord Bia has offices in quite a number of European capitals. The fact that they have a stand here, in your city, shows that we will be putting more emphasis on CEE.
Naturally, we have a very strong exporting business from our country. Our economy is very, very dependent on trade [and] on exports. We export 85 percent of the food products we produce in Ireland to 170 countries. In 2004 we exported EUR7.1 (zł.29.84) billion. About 80 percent of our beef exports went to other EU member states and the remainder went to Russia. We have a recognition that we're a 'food island', we have very, very high standards in the health, safety and quality of food.
What is the advantage of Irish products against competition?
Our competitive advantage is the quality of our product. Over the past number of years our food industry, through innovation, research and development, has produced new products to meet the changing consumer demands. And we recognize that in all developing economies there will be increasing affluence, different eating habits, [and] changing lifestyles. And our companies over the past number of years have gone about producing the products to meet consumers' emerging demands.
What is the future of EU agriculture policy?
At the EU level, there will be increasing demand on the budget made available for the CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] and before Poland joined the EU our country stated very clearly that we would build alliances with countries who have similar interests to ourselves.
The decisions are not near reach in relation to what the financial parameters will be post-2007. There will be difficulties and there are many competing pressures in relation to the overall finances of the European Union. Agriculture will come under pressure and there is a lot of work to be done to achieve the outcome that we wish. I am sure that your country will have a similar view.
We might have some common interests regarding the CAP. Do you think there would be an alliance of countries that would lobby to obtain more money?
There is already an alliance of five plus one, and Poland is the one new member of that alliance. There are informal alliances.
Agriculture production looks set to become more expensive. Do you think Europe or Ireland could become a specialty food producer over the next few years?
In regard to the food sector overall, what we want to see is the economies of the 25 European countries grow, because we believe when that happens there are higher levels of disposable income, [and] a more affluent society. With [that] people are in a position to buy food products that they wish and I think then it's up to the agriculture sector to produce the products that the consumer demands.
A recent scandal in Poland revealed one meat producer that was returning spoiled, out-of-date food to consumers. Do certificates issued in Brussels mean anything?
I am not going to comment on the individual case that you mentioned, but it's up to each member state to implement the regulatory regime that is applicable throughout the European Union. It is an obligation and a serious duty. Because we work on a single-market system, we depend on our fellow members implementing the regulatory regime as we would implement it. There is no room for complacency; safety and standards cannot be compromised.
