Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The development of free trade agreements between the European Union and Australia-New Zealand is at an early stage. Last week, the European Council authorised the Commission to open trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand and adopted negotiating directives for each of the negotiations.

Trade agreements with both countries would aim primarily at further reducing existing barriers to trade, removing customs duties on goods and giving better access for services and public procurement in Australia and New Zealand.

Ireland already has strong relationships with both countries and enjoys good co-operation on both a bilateral and multilateral level. We are also open to such trade deals. For example, Ireland would have strong offensive interests in Australia for pigmeat and spirit drinks. However, and as with any trade deal, there are also defensive interests in any future negotiations and these must be balanced and have due regard to special sensitive sectors for Ireland such as beef, sheepmeat and dairy.

The mandates as they are do not envisage full liberalisation of trade in agricultural products, which are foreseen as benefiting from specific treatment.

During the course of the upcoming negotiations, as with any free trade agreement negotiations, I will insist that they are handled appropriately and in a manner that safeguards the interests of the Irish agrifood sector, particularly its most sensitive sectors such as beef and dairy. This stance will be even more important in the light of the ongoing Mercosur negotiations. I believe also that full account must be taken of the findings of the Commission’s own assessment of the cumulative impact of trade deals on the agrifood sector and the potentially very damaging impact of Brexit on an already delicately balanced EU beef market.

See this speech in context