asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the adverse trade balance between Ireland and European countries with which there are bilateral trade agreements, it is proposed to re-negotiate these agreements with a view to improving the balance of trade.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Trade with Europe.
5.
Our principal export market in Europe are those countries which are members or prospective members of the European Communities and there would be no point in attempting to re-negotiate new bilateral trade agreements with these countries at this time when we are moving towards conclusion of the negotiations for enlargement of the Communities.
Can the Minister say what applies in respect of the countries that are not members of the Common Market?
Many of them are negotiating with Common Market countries and——
We could not do that I suppose? We could not negotiate with them?
——we will be involved in the arrangements made with these countries in trade.
Why is the Minister so adamant that it is not possible for Ireland to have trade negotiations with the Common Market while outside the Market if he feels there is a satisfactory way of dealing with other countries that are outside?
I could deal with that fully some other time.
The Minister should deal with it now.
A trade agreement would not give us any say whatever in the decision making in the Community. The next answer in economic terms, equal to the first, is that we would not participate in the common agricultural policy which would render the trade agreements totally without any benefit to us.
Question No. 6.
Is the Minister not aware that the common commercial policy of the EEC has not been implemented by 1970 as had been proposed, that member countries are still negotiating separate bilateral trade agreements, and does he not agree that it is quite open to us to do so now or when we join and should we not get on with negotiating such bilateral trade agreements as suggested in this question with non-member countries?
We are, in fact, negotiating bilateral trade agreements and in the context of negotiating membership of the Community there is a clause which we bring into these and these recently have been with Eastern European countries. I think Deputy Cosgrave was more interested in countries where we have had some real trade but the imbalance is against us and, indeed, much of the imbalance is due to their membership of the Community and our non-membership. It was in that context that I answered in that way. If the Deputies wanted information on specific countries I would answer specific questions.
Austria?
Take, for instance, the restriction imposed by the French Government on the import of lamb?
If the Deputy wants specific answers I will answer them separately.