Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have four and a half minutes so there is no excuse for me not to give answers. Climate change and environmental standards are a key part of the level playing field ask on behalf of the EU. A level playing field means ensuring that there is fair competition in the UK and in the EU if there is going to be free trade between both, be that in regard to workers' rights, environmental standards, food safety or consumer-based issues. From an EU perspective the main issues are environmental standards, climate standards and commitments. In the EU objectives, the EU reaffirms effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and the commitments therein, and calls on the UK to maintain a system of carbon pricing, including, possibly, linking the UK emissions trading system, ETS, to the EU emissions trading system. It is also calling for the UK to maintain common standards, including targets in place at the end of the transition period and environmental standards across various sectors of the agreement, including in transport, which makes sense for both parties. It is very much integrated into these negotiations, but if we do not have serious negotiation and engagement from the UK side on level playing field issues and the current approach of refusing to accept that this needs to be part of a deal, then we are running into a roadblock. I hope that we will see a different approach to what we are calling a level playing field but could be called whatever might be more politically saleable in the UK, but we have to ensure that the standards and the state intervention and supports in the UK and in the EU are comparable and equivalent if there is to be tariff and quota-free trade. Otherwise, it cannot be done because we would be essentially allowing free access into a market of 450 million and allowing the UK to derive competitive advantage by changing standards to suit itself. There will never be a trade deal done on that basis. It cannot happen. That reality has to be understood.

I hope I have answered all of Deputy Hourigan's questions.

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