CPTPP to get an official forum for talks... Government: "Not premised on joining" vs. farm sector: "Compensation first"

[Financial News] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and farmers’ groups will establish an official public-private consultative body to discuss external trade issues, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The government stressed that the body is a channel for communication, not one premised on joining the CPTPP. Farmers’ groups, meanwhile, voiced concern that the government was effectively planning to pursue accession next year and called for proactive, concrete compensation measures.
 On the 12th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) said it would establish a public-private consultative body provisionally named the "Public-Private Consultative Body for Addressing Agricultural Trade Issues" to broadly gather the agricultural sector’s views on key trade issues, including the CPTPP, and jointly explore responses. The body was set up to examine the impact of mega FTAs such as the CPTPP on domestic agriculture and maintain communication with farmers’ groups. A preliminary meeting for the body was held today. The government plans to continue dialogue through the consultative body.
 MAFRA emphasized that forming the body does not presuppose joining the CPTPP or mean that the accession process is beginning. It said the body is a channel for carefully reviewing related issues through thorough communication with the agricultural sector while preparing for the possibility of pursuing accession in the future. In other words, it is not a body solely for CPTPP accession, but a channel for proactively identifying the agricultural sector’s concerns about changes in the external trade environment.
 Park Sang-ho, MAFRA’s international agricultural cooperation officer, said, "The CPTPP is an issue whose impact on agriculture and the concerns of those in the field need to be examined thoroughly," adding, "We will listen to the agricultural sector and build trust as we discuss the issues together." Farmers’ groups, by contrast, took a confrontational stance toward the government. No Man-ho, permanent representative of the Korea General Council of Agricultural Organizations, said, "The government says it will not pursue joining the CPTPP this year, but the general impression is that it will effectively do so starting next year." He added, "Today, we asked the government to expand the agricultural budget and provide proactive, concrete compensation measures that include the Blue House’s promise."
 The consultative body will include farmers’ groups, the government and experts. It will consist of a plenary meeting, a Representatives’ Council, a working-level council and commodity-specific councils. The Representatives’ Council and working-level council will discuss key matters and issues facing the agricultural sector. The commodity-specific councils will examine impacts and concerns in their respective areas and explore responses. The plenary meeting will share the main discussions of each council and address common issues. The plan is to take these discussions into account while consulting with relevant ministries and reviewing related policies.
 The consultative body’s plenary meeting will be chaired by an official at vice-minister level or above, the Representatives’ Council will include office directors, and the working-level council will include bureau directors or division chiefs. Each commodity-specific council will include the bureau director responsible for that commodity. MAFRA Minister Song Mi-ryeong is also expected to attend the plenary meeting. All farmers’ groups affiliated with umbrella organizations, as well as producer organizations requested for each commodity, are expected to participate in the consultative body. An online channel for submitting comments will be set up to gather a broad range of views, including those of farmers and others who may find it difficult to participate directly.

[email protected] Choi Yong-jun, agriculture specialist Reporter