Following the announcement of the political agreement between the EU and Mercosur on a Free Trade Agreement, a whole-of-Government review on the impact of the agreement on Ireland was initiated.
The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, in collaboration with my Department, commissioned consultants to carry out an Economic and Sustainability Impact Assessment (ESIA) for Ireland. This study involved consultations with a wide variety of stakeholders, including many from the agri-food sector. An official from my Department is a member of the project steering group overseeing the ESIA.
Work by the consultants on the ESIA is well advanced. The Report will be published once it has been received and considered by Government.