Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I note the Deputy's concerns about the precautionary principle in the EU treaties. However, the treaties are foundation documents for all European decision making so TTIP negotiators must be cognisant of those in all negotiations. Any final agreement will be subject to scrutiny by every individual government across the European Union. Each of the 28 member states will be able to raise objections to any matters they consider might breach principles of the EU treaties such as the precautionary principle. Added to that, if the democratically elected Members of the European Parliament feel that any proposed agreement undermines that clause, they may fail to ratify it.

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