Mr. Philip Kelly:

However, such a company cannot establish rights. If it is not legal in Ireland, then a business cannot establish a right to it. The agreement explicitly states there is no prohibition on the Government regulating in respect of the public's interest. The agreement commits both the European Union and Canada to protect the environment, forest species, indigenous people, aquaculture and to working to enforce all of the commitments in the Paris Agreement etc. Everything in the agreement says there can be no diminution in environmental or labour standards. Special committees have been set up under the agreement to monitor the situation on an annual basis. There is also a provision for the Government and the European Union to intervene with Canada if it was thought that Canada was lessening environmental standards either to create jobs, generate trade or secure investment and the same would apply to the European Union. Everything written down, both in the minutes of the Council in the joint interpretative instrument and in the agreement, is in exactly the opposite direction. There is no diminution in employment or environmental standards and in fact mechanisms to police same that involves civil society.