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Trade Agreements

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2021

Thursday, 3 June 2021

Questions (43, 64, 82, 105)

Bríd Smith

Question:

43. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will conduct a review of the possible climate impact and specifically the impact on global greenhouse gas emissions and on Ireland's targets for emission reductions nationally of the State endorsing all aspects of the CETA agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13298/21]

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Bríd Smith

Question:

64. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will conduct a review of the implications for the climate goal of Ireland especially targets committed to in the Paris Treaty including the impact on global emissions of GHGs as a result of Ireland endorsing the CETA trade deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1481/21]

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Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

82. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has examined possible implications for the climate goals of Ireland, especially targets committed to in the Paris Treaty as a result of Ireland endorsing the CETA trade deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1486/21]

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Gino Kenny

Question:

105. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will undertake a full review of the possible impact on climate action and the environment as a result of Ireland accepting the CETA deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1489/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 64, 82 and 105 together.

CETA - the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement - includes commitments towards the sustainable management of forests, fisheries and aquaculture. It also reinforces the Parties' commitments to multilateral environmental agreements to which it is a party, including the Paris Agreement, which is an important shared responsibility for the European Union and its Member States and Canada.

Importantly, in CETA, both sides also agree that more trade and investment should not be at the expense of environmental protection and labour rights. On the contrary, the EU and Canada are committed to ensuring that CETA helps ensure that economic growth, social development, and environmental protection go hand in hand.

The EU Commission published a Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment relating to the negotiation of CETA in June 2011. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of trade liberalisation under CETA. The impact analysis assesses the economic, social and environmental impacts in Canada and the European Union, in three main sectors, sixteen sub-sectors and seven cross-cutting issues. In addition to examining potential gains from removing factors affecting the free flow of goods, services and capital, consideration is given to areas such as labour mobility, government procurement, intellectual property rights, telecoms services and e-commerce.

Overall, the sustainability impact assessment found that the impacts to Canada and the European Union would not be significant. The analysis also finds that CETA will lead to overall gains in welfare, real GDP, total exports and real wages in both Canada and the EU over the long-term.

So, I am satisfied that CETA will not negatively impact, in aggregate, on Ireland's, or the EU's capacity to meet our Climate Change goals. Moreover, our respective Climate Change Goals are enhanced when improved trade and investment flows for our people support an ambitious Trade and Sustainability, Green and Digital Transition, as applies in the EU and Canada.

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