Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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167. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the commencement of EU trade agreement negotiations with Australia and New Zealand; and the offensive and defensive interests for Irish agriculture in future discussions. [24228/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The development of Free Trade Agreements between the EU and Australia / New Zealand is at an early stage.  Last week the European Council authorised the Commission to open trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, and adopted negotiating directives for each of the negotiations. My colleague the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation takes the lead in international trade negotiations.

Trade agreements with both countries would aim primarily at further reducing existing barriers to trade, removing custom duties on goods, and giving better access for services and public procurement in Australia and New Zealand.  

Ireland already has strong relationships with both countries, and enjoys good cooperation on both a bilateral and multilateral level.  We are also open to such trade deals.  For example, Ireland would have strong offensive interests in Australia for pig meat and spirit drinks. However, and as with any trade deal, there are also defensive interests in any future negotiations, and these must be balanced and have due regard to special sensitive sectors for Ireland, such as beef, sheep meat and dairy.   

From an Irish agri-food perspective I will aim to protect vulnerable sectors such as agriculture by maximising the benefits of market opening without harming Irish producers. The mandates as they are do not envisage full liberalisation of trade in agricultural products, which are foreseen as benefiting from specific treatment. 

During the course of the upcoming negotiations I will, as with any Free Trade Agreement negotiations, insist that they are handled appropriately, and in a manner that safeguards the interests of the Irish agri food sector, particularly its most sensitive sectors such as beef and dairy. This stance will be even more important in the light of the on-going Mercosur negotiations. I also believe full account must be taken of the findings of the Commission’s own assessment of the cumulative impact of trade deals on the agri food sector, and the potentially very damaging impact of Brexit on an already delicately balanced EU beef market.