Ms Sinéad McPhillips:

Absolutely, but the point I am making is that different countries have different standards and requirements. When we export to Asian markets, for example, we go through, as the Senator is aware, a lengthy market-access process. This is to prove that our standards are equivalent to the specifics of those markets, so it cannot really be a one-size-fits-all scenario. We have those concerns in relation to sustainability, and they have been a key part of the further discussions with Mercosur since the original agreement in 2019, that additional sustainability standards were added to the agreement and an additional protocol was added last December. There are further reassurances from the Commission in what it has produced now, but all of those assurances are still being examined by us and by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to see how well they stand up.

CETA, the agreement with Canada, has been provisionally enforced since 2017. It allows Irish and Canadian companies to take advantage of the beneficial terms of the agreement. Ninety nine percent of goods now have access to the Canadian market tariff-free and EU beef and sheepmeat access into Canada has been fully liberalised. Irish agrifood exports to Canada have increased by 58% in value since 2017, and that is largely driven by an increase in spirit drinks exports. This shows the benefits of some of these free trade agreements, while obviously acknowledging that Mercosur is a significant cause for concern.