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Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2021

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Questions (256, 297, 298)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

256. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason that Ireland and the European Union did not secure equal protection for cultural industries as secured by Canada in Article 7.7 of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement; and if this will put Irish and European cultural workers and businesses at a disadvantage compared to their Canadian counterparts. [11981/21]

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Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

297. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on the inferior protection given to Irish and European cultural industries compared to Canadian cultural industries under Article 7.7 of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement; and the impact that will have on the ability to subsidise or support cultural workers and businesses. [11982/21]

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Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

298. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if representations were made by her Department on behalf of the Irish cultural industry in negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the European Union and Canada; and if so, the details of same. [11983/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 256, 297 and 298 together.

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) has provisionally applied since 21st September 2017, meaning that duties on 98% of products (tariff lines) that the EU trades with Canada have been removed. CETA covers virtually all facets of economic activity.

Article 7 of CETA, similar to the vast majority of provisions under the Agreement, is provisionally in place since September 2017 pending final ratification by the Member States. Over 80% of Europe’s cultural and creative operators are SMEs. The reduction in trade barriers and tariffs facilitates Irish and other European designers, artists and other cultural professionals in the sale and export of their products and services. At the same time, European cultural and creative professionals such as architects, will have their professional qualifications recognised and can now tender for contracts at the federal and regional level in Canada.

CETA will address areas of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) by bringing Canada's rules in line with EU laws for protecting new technologies and managing digital rights. The creative industries, through choice or necessity, are increasingly pivoting to the digital environment to support their livelihoods.

Having regard to the Deputy’s question on the matter of whether representations were made by my Department on behalf of the Irish cultural industry in negotiations on CETA, I can advise the Deputy that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment leads on trade policy negotiations for the whole of Government in Ireland.

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