Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I might come back in a moment on the negative list issue. There would, of course, be engagement on it. If the Senator can give me a little bit of time I might come back on that later in the session.

On the earlier question, I am advised that if a member state was unable to ratify CETA, and it represented a permanent and definitive state, they would have to formally notify this to the Secretariat-General of the Council prior to any action being required on the part of the Commission. If this was to happen it would be the first time for this situation to arise with an EU trade agreement and the Commission would need to engage member states with regard to the implications. The possibility however of a termination of the provisional application would then arise and that would be determined by qualified majority voting. The Union has been around for a long time and there have been a lot of trade agreements but never has it arisen that a state would permanently and definitively reject an agreement. That would put us in a difficult position were we the country to do that.