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Creed Meets with Estonian Rural Affairs Minister on Brexit ahead of Estonian Presidency of E.U. Council

The Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine, Michael Creed TD, this afternoon (Tuesday) met with his Estonian counterpart, Minister Tarmo Tamm in Tallinn to discuss the implications of Brexit for the Irish agri-food and fisheries sectors. Commenting after the meeting Minister Creed said;
“This is my fourth visit to an E.U. Member State in the past fortnight as part of an extensive consultation process with other Agriculture Ministers on the implications of Brexit, with a view to building alliances to ensure that agri-food and fisheries concerns are at the top of the E.U negotiation agenda. Today's meeting was important from a strategic point of view as Estonia will assume the Presidency of the E.U. Council for the second half of 2017 and therefore frame the agenda for the remainder of the year. Furthermore it is crucial to build awareness of our exposure arising from Brexit particularly amongst Member States who don't share a significant trading relationship with the U.K.”

Commenting ahead of his meeting with Poland’s Agriculture Minister on Wednesday Minister Creed concluded; “on the eve of the triggering of Article 50, this is a most appropriate opportunity to continue my process of bilateral engagement across the E.U. I am satisfied that these discussions are contributing to the development of a clear understanding of Ireland's unique position in the context of Brexit.”

Minister Creed travels to Warsaw tonight ahead of his meeting with Minister Krzysztof Jurgiel tomorrow. At next week’s Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg he will host further bilaterals with Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium, and will then travel on to Paris for talks with French Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll. While in Luxembourg he will also meet UK Minister of State George Eustice in what will be one of the first Ministerial engagements with the UK after its triggering of Article 50. The Minister has already met with the German, Danish and Dutch Ministers this month.