John Bruton
Question:150 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the international organisations of which Ireland is a member for which he has responsibility.
Written Answers. - Relations with International Organisations.
I have the principal role in relation to Ireland's membership of the following international organisations:
1. International Labour Organistion the objective of the ILO is to promote peace through social justice which is to be achieved by improving the conditions of life and labour of workers.
2.European Space Agency the agency's main activity is the development of high technology industry in the member states.
3. Eureka is an association of 19 western European countries involved in international collaboration in the area of research and technology.
4.European Molecular Biology Conference. Ireland's involvement in the European Molecular Biology Conference enables Irish scientists working in this area to study at centres of excellence abroad and thus to gain access to the most up-to-date research available.
5.World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is responsible for the promotion of the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.
6.European Patent Organisation (EPO) was established under the 1973 Convention on the grant of European Patents (EPC). A central patent office in Munich, set up under the Convention, grants patents with effect in the contracting states of the Convention.
7. My Department is also, of course, actively involved with other international organisations in matters related to the Department's work, the most notable of which are the Council of Europe and the OECD.