David Stanton
Question:65 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work programme in the past 12 months of the trade advisory forum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22027/99]
Written Answers. - Trade Advisory Forum.
Kitt): The Trade Advisory Forum has met on five occasions over the past year as follows: 29 October 1998, 15 December 1998, 22 March 1999, 7 July, 1999, and 6 October 1999.
During that period the forum has considered a wide range of issues relevant to Ireland's current and future trade performance. The following is an indicative list of the topics discussed at the meetings referred to above. Competitiveness Infrastructure (Access Transport); review of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act; Labour Shortages; Multilateral Investment Agreement; Reviews of Trade Figures; Current and Future Prospects for Trade in Asia; EU Enlargement (implications for Irish trade); Expo 2000; Impact of EMU; Review of Trading Conditions in the Russian market; EU-US Trade Disputes; Export Trade Risk Management; WTO Millennium Round; Trade and Labour Standards; E-Commerce
The forum has made a valuable contribution to the debate on these issues and I am grateful to the members for their continued active participation.