Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 November 2014
241. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on the potential impact of the transatlantic trade and investment partnership on the agriculture, environment, employment and workers' rights sectors; the steps he will take to ensure Ireland's interests are protected during the negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43083/14]
View answerThe scope of the mandate, which includes the agriculture sector, covers market access, regulatory and non-tariff barriers, and rules. One of the clearly stated objectives in the mandate is sustainable development, which encompasses the respect of international environmental and labour agreements and standards while promoting high levels of protection for the environment, labour and consumers, consistent with the EU acquis and Member States' legislation.
The full text of the mandate can be found on the EU Council’s website at
http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11103-2013-DCL-1/en/pdf.
The EU Commission, which negotiates on behalf of the EU, is required under the terms of the mandate and in accordance with Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to conduct the negotiations in consultation with and to regularly report to the Council on all aspects of the negotiations. Officials from my Department are represented on the relevant committees. As in all trade negotiations at EU and international levels, I fully intend to work at securing the best deal for Ireland by the end of these negotiations, to open up opportunities for Irish business, and bearing in mind any sensitivities we may have.
