Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2020
186. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of all proposed EU trade agreements and Ireland’s position on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43666/20]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in tabular format as follows:
In addition to the above the since the beginning of 2019 EU Trade Agreements have entered into force with Japan, Singapore and Vietnam. The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement has been provisionally applied since September 2017 allowing Irish companies take advantage of the all-important provisions of CETA including the elimination of tariffs on almost all key exports, access to the Canadian procurement market, the easing of regulatory barriers and more transparent rules for market access.
In terms of Ireland's position on EU Free Trade Agreements, Ireland is a strong supporter of ambitious, modern and progressive trade agreements which also project our values and high standards, such as the protection of labour rights and environmental standards. Diversifying trade is a key priority for this Government and an important part of our Brexit response and it will be an important factor in Ireland’s economic recovery post-pandemic. The best way to achieve export growth and market diversification is by improving the terms of trade for Irish firms. We need to secure greater market access and reduce the costs of entering those markets and the EU suite of Free Trade Agreements are key in that regard.
