Blog: My weekly update - Hoofdinhoud

I visited Washington DC this week to address the US Department of Agriculture Outlook Forum, at the invitation of Secretary Tom Vilsack.

I visited Washington DC this week to address the US Department of Agriculture Outlook Forum, at the invitation of Secretary Tom Vilsack. I used the trip to fit in a series of meetings and public engagements with key US policymakers, with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations featuring as a key theme.

On Monday we touched down in a snowy Dulles Airport, thankfully just before a blizzard hit DC. I took the opportunity to meet up that evening with Ivan Doherty, a Senior Associate at the National Democratic Institute. Ivan had invited a group of people over to his house for a very convivial and interesting dinner with the blizzard whirling outside.

On Tuesday I woke up early to find out that most of Washington DC had been "shut down" due to a "snow day." As a result, Federal Government offices were closed, which caused a number of problems with my schedule. Nevertheless I was grateful for the effort and flexibility shown by various people and I still managed to fit in very interesting meetings with former USTR Susan Schwab at the Bertelsmann Foundation breakfast, entitled "Food for Thought," as well as catching up with some US Agri Trade experts and fitting in some media interviews. I also made a brief pitstop to two US supermarkets to check out EU quality produce on the shelves there.

Early on Wednesday I had the pleasure of sitting down with my US counterpart, Secretary Tom Vilsack. It was a great opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the agriculture sectors on both sides of the Atlantic in the context of a possible TTIP deal. We agreed to continue our engagement and work together to find pragmatic, mutually beneficial solutions to the more sensitive issues on the table. Secretary Vilsack is a man of exceptional ability and political experience, a former Governor of Iowa and now the longest serving Secretary for Agriculture in the history of the US. Like a lot of Americans, he has a strong Irish heritage which he shared with me in a private tete-a-tete afterward.

Later that morning I had a very interesting roundtable discussion with EU agri-food companies active on the US market, at the EU Delegation offices. They gave me very useful feedback on the state of the art in doing business across the Atlantic - it is always good to hear the thoughts of the practitioners on the ground. After lunch, I spoke to the media about the various agri-related issues surrounding TTIP. The question of Geographical Indicators, GMOs, Sanitary and Phytosanitary issues were at the forefront of the assembled journalists' minds.

In the afternoon I met with the US Chamber of Commerce - it was a good opportunity to hear the views of US industry active on both sides of the Atlantic and their enthusiasm for a deal. That evening EU Ambassador David O'Sullivan hosted a dinner with a series of current and former officials active in the trade policy arena, which proved to be a fruitful exchange of views.

Thursday morning saw my participation in the 93rd edition of USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum. The forum brings together over 2,000 farmers, farm groups and actors in the agri-food sector from around the US to discuss the future trends and prospects for agriculture as a whole, as well as the individual commodity classes. Richard Haass, Chairman of the Council of Foreign Relations, gave an inspirational speech about the linkages between food security and the world order. Indeed we cannot take for granted the issue of food security in a world of increasing geopolitical instability and that is why I am placing this matter as a priority on my work agenda as Commissioner. After Dr Haass' speech I had a chance to tell the story of a vibrant and market-oriented EU agri-food model, which produces high quality product, far removed from the milk lakes and butter mountains of old. I explained to the audience that EU Geographic Indicators are about rural intellectual property, about rewarding quality in rural areas and that US producers can and do benefit from GI status as well, from Napa Valley to Idaho Potatoes. I expressed my view that TTIP offers an historic opportunity to deepen bilateral relations - the moment is ripe to create a trade superhighway across the Atlantic. Afterwards, Secretary Vilsack and I engaged in a very interesting and though provoking dialogue on stage, as well as taking questions from the audience.

Later that morning I met with US Trade Representative Mike Froman and his team to exchange views on the state of play in TTIP. It was the second time I met USTR Froman, having previously met in Brussels in December. It is important to keep this dialogue going as the TTIP negotiations progress. USTR Froman is a hard working Trade Representative and he informed me of his high activity levels travelled across the US selling the importance of a trade deal, as well as negotiating TPP and TTIP.

Finally, I visited the World Bank to meet with Keith Hansen, Global Practices Vice President and Juergen Voegele, Senior Director Agriculture Global Practice. We discussed some interesting synergies between the World Bank and the EU in terms of climate smart agriculture and food security.

Back in Brussels today, it was great to approve three more Protected Geographical Indications - 'Meloa de Santa Maria' from the Azores in Portugal, ‘Carnikavas nēģi’ from Latvia and 'Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane' from Italy - more EU produce recognised for its high quality and value.