Written answers
Thursday, 25 February 2021
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
European Council Meetings
Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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4. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of formal and informal Council of the European Union meetings that have been held since 27 June 2020 under the remit of his Department; and the number of formal and informal meetings, respectively held virtually. [10813/21]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The policy areas which fall within the responsibility of my Department at EU level mainly come within the remit of four Council formations. They are the Competitiveness Council (Internal Market and Industry), the Competitiveness Council (Space), the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), and the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Employment) (EPSCO). The Department coordinates for these Councils too.
Responsibility for EPSCO transferred from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to my Department with effect from 14 October 2020.
Responsibility for the Competitiveness Council (Research) transferred from my Department to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on 1 January 2021.
The following tables include both the formal and informal Council of the EU meetings which have taken place under the different formations of Council since 27 June 2020. Councils that are held virtually are, perforce, informal, while Councils held in Brussels are formal.
Competitiveness Council (Internal Market and Industry)
| Date | Attendance | Virtually / Physically |
|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2020 | An Tánaiste | Virtually |
| 23 October 2020 | Minister Troy | Virtually |
| 19 November 2020 | Minister Troy | Virtually |
| 25 February 2021 | An Tánaiste and Minister Troy | Virtually |
Competitiveness Council (Research)
| Date | Attendance | Virtually / Physically |
|---|---|---|
| 21 July 2020 | Departmental Official | Virtually |
| 29 September 2020 | Deputy Permanent Representative | Brussels |
| 27 November 2020 | Minister Harris | Virtually |
Competitiveness Council (Space)
| Date | Attendance | Virtually / Physically |
|---|---|---|
| 20 November 2020 | Minister English | Virtually |
Foreign Affairs Council (Trade)
| Date | Attendance | Virtually / Physically |
|---|---|---|
| 21 September 2020 | An Tánaiste | Berlin (Informal) |
| 9 November 2020 | An Tánaiste | Virtually |
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)
| Date | Attendance | Virtually / Physically |
|---|---|---|
| 3 December 2020 | Minister English | Virtually |
| 22 February 2021 | Minister English | Virtually |
As well as Council meetings, my Ministerial colleagues and I continue to engage with our EU counterparts on an ongoing bilateral basis.
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