On Tuesday the 25th of February the House of Commons held a debate on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which is a trade agreement between the United States of America and the European Union.
Some of the detail is being fast tracked and so needs our close attention. When it is concluded the agreement could boost the UK economy by £10 billion and the Welsh economy by £1,5 billion. This deal will give great opportunities for food producers in Wales and their quality products, such as high value dairy and Welsh lamb and beef.
During the debate Roger Williams MP raised the issue of unfair competition from America in food production, which might arise not only from genetically modified synthetic hormones, but also from lower levels of animal welfare. Roger raised these concerns and urged that these issues must be resolved before entering into this trade agreement.
During the debate Roger Williams, Lib Dem MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, intervened to say:
“While I welcome the great opportunities that this will give the quality Welsh products, we must be aware that American food producers benefit from lower regulatory costs on such things as animal welfare, hygiene, and the use of genetically modified and synthetic hormones. These give American farmers an advantage and so we must ensure during the negotiations that we have a level playing field. These issues must be resolved before we can wholeheartedly enter into this trade agreement.”
