Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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166. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has carried out an impact assessment of the effect of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on food standards. [12754/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In the negotiations for agreement on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a key issue for me is to ensure that the principle of equivalence will continue to apply so that even where food production processes in the EU and US are not identical they will provide equivalent guarantees regarding the standards of production. This principle is already enshrined under the World Trade Organisation Agreement and I am pleased to report that it is also recognised by both sides in the EU/US negotiations as the basis for the TTIP agreement. Equally it is important that both the EU and United States retain the policy space to restrict certain practices and processes on social and ethical grounds and this is also recognised, in principle, by both sides. We are at a relatively early stage in these negotiations and it is difficult to predict the final shape of an agreement at this point. Nevertheless, I have made it clear to the EU Commission, which negotiates on our behalf, that the principle of equivalence, and the right of reservation on policy grounds, must both be respected in the negotiations. This is particularly relevant in relation to the use of hormones in meat production. The EU Commission has made it clear that it will not allow the importation of hormone treated meat into the EU and this is well understood by the US side. In these circumstances, I do not anticipate that the TTIP agreement will have any impact on food standards within the state.

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