Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 59: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding signing the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which, in his statement to the Human Rights Council on 6 October 2011 as part of the Universal Periodic Review of Ireland, he indicated he hoped to sign before the end of 2011, but which remains unsigned. [2340/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights opened for signature in New York in September 2009. To date thirty nine (39) States have signed. Nine of the twenty seven European Union member states have signed. Five States have ratified the Optional Protocol: Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mongolia and Spain. The Optional Protocol will come into force three months after the deposit with the United Nations Secretary General of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession. As only five States have ratified the Optional Protocol so far it has not yet come into force. My Department has led consultations between Departments on possible signature of the Optional Protocol. A formal proposal asking Departments for their views as to possible signature of the Optional Protocol was circulated in December. Once this consultation process is completed the question of the possible signature of the Optional Protocol will then be examined.

While my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, stated on 6 October 2011 that Ireland hoped to be in a position to sign the Optional Protocol to the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights before the end of 2011 during Ireland's Universal Periodic Review, it has not been possible to finalise a decision on this matter pending the completion of the ongoing consultation process. Ratification of the Optional Protocol would be a separate step and would be considered in due course.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress being made on bilateral Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and third countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1948/12]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Since 2002, the EU has been negotiating a series of new trade and development agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of States. The negotiations for these Economic Partnership Agreements are being carried out by the European Commission, on behalf of the European Community and the Member States. They were necessitated by rulings by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that the unilateral trade preferences which the EU had previously granted to the ACP countries established unfair discrimination between developing countries.

The original aim had been to conclude comprehensive Agreements with six regional groupings of the ACP States by the end of 2007, the deadline set by the WTO. However, following a process of protracted and difficult negotiations, only one of the ACP regional groups, representing Caribbean States, was ready to initial an Economic Partnership Agreement by that date. In order to avoid trade disruption, interim Agreements were agreed and initialled at the end of 2007 with 21 other ACP States, either individually or in regional groupings. These interim Agreements provide for full duty and quota-free access to the European Union market but allow the ACP countries a flexible and asymmetric trade liberalisation schedule.

In recent years, there have been well-founded concerns that there was a need to restore momentum to the negotiations and revitalise the original shared commitment to the achievement of strong Agreements which serve the development needs of the ACP countries. Political leaders from both sides agreed at the EU-Africa Summit in November 2010 "to conclude Economic Partnership Agreements that support socio-economic development, regional integration and the integration of Africa into the global economy". As a result, the European Commission last year engaged actively and flexibly in renewed negotiations at the regional level. In tandem with this approach, at the end of September the Commission adopted a proposal, for submission to the Council, which would set a deadline of 1 January 2014 for the conclusion of the negotiations. This proposal is currently under consideration by the European Parliament and the Council.

As Minister of State for Trade and Development, I will be following closely the continuing negotiations for these partnership agreements. I will be working with our partners to help ensure that the EU's negotiating approach is as flexible as possible under WTO law and that the negotiations serve to strengthen the EU's partnership with developing countries. I believe it is essential that we continue to work for Agreements which clearly support the development needs of developing countries, and specifically their programmes to reduce poverty.