Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he has to advance the EU US trade agreement during the Irish EU presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8948/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Government identified the need to advance the prospects of an EU-US trade and investment agreement as a key priority for Ireland's EU Presidency. I am pleased to report that significant progress has already been achieved with the decision of 13 February by EU and US leaders to launch negotiations in the coming months. The EU and the US are two of the world's largest trading blocs and already have very strong trading and investment ties with each other. The joint EU-US High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth, set up following the last EU-US Summit in November 2011, was tasked with identifying policies and measures to further increase EU-US trade and investment including a possible trade and investment agreement to support mutually beneficial job creation, economic growth, and international competitiveness. That High Level Group issued its Final Report to EU and US Leaders on 12 February 2013. The Report concluded that a comprehensive agreement that addresses a broad range of bilateral trade and investment issues, including regulatory issues, and contributes to the development of global rules, would provide the most significant mutual benefit of the various options which had been considered. The Report therefore recommended to Leaders that each side initiate as soon as possible the formal domestic procedures necessary to launch negotiations on a comprehensive trade and investment agreement.

In a joint statement on 13 February 2013, EU and US Leaders welcomed the Report's recommendations and confirmed that each side will now initiate the internal procedures necessary to launch negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. For its part, the European Commission has indicated that it will move quickly to present a negotiating mandate to EU Member States for approval by the Council of Ministers in order to start negotiations as soon as possible, still during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council. As Presidency, we will play our full part in achieving this objective.