Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Ireland has expressed strong views within the EU on the compatibility of the Energy Charter Treaty with the Paris Climate Agreement, especially the charter treaty's dispute resolution mechanism. We continue to express our strong views within the EU on these issues. We believe it carries more weight in international negotiations to advocate them as part of the European Union.

In 2017, the Energy Charter Conference decided to modernise the treaty in order to respond to criticisms of the dispute resolution mechanism in Article 26. Our view is that it is inconsistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and with policy objectives of the EU and other countries which seek to phase out fossil fuels in favour of renewables. This modernisation process has not been completed.

Ireland continues to support a co-ordinated EU withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty if it is not modernised to align it with the Paris Agreement, to address our concerns, and to support international efforts to decarbonise electricity systems and promote more renewable energy.

We are working with EU partners to reach a common position. If a decision is made for a co-ordinated exit of EU member states from the treaty, Ireland will support that position and we will withdraw. However, we reserve the right, and maintain this a live option, to unilaterally withdraw should the treaty not be reformed to a level that is deemed satisfactory.

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