Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 November 2014
377. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way he is ensuring that Ireland’s ongoing engagement with the negotiations on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is addressing the key challenge set out in paragraph 16 of the European Parliament’s 23 May 2013 resolution (details supplied) regarding these negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41014/14]
View answerThe scope of the EU Commission’s mandate to negotiate with the US on TTIP is publicly available since 9 October 2014, and can be found on the EU Council’s website at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/145014.pdf
The mandate includes sustainable development objectives, such as those included in the European Parliament’s resolution of 23 May 2013 on the EU trade and investment negotiations with the United States of America.
The EU Commission negotiates on behalf of the EU. Under the terms of the mandate and in accordance with Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the EU Commission is required to conduct the negotiations in consultation with the Council and to regularly report to the Council. The EU Commission consults the member states on a weekly basis on this and all aspects of the negotiations. Officials from my Department are represented on the relevant committees.
