Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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508. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the European Union has considered a ban on Brazilian beef given record deforestation in the Amazon. [37662/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I would like to assure the Deputy that Ireland is very actively engaged on issues of environmental protection and deforestation in Brazil, including through our Embassy in Brazil and in cooperation with our EU partners such as the EU Delegation in Brasilia. Indeed, the European Green Deal has been prioritised as one of two main areas of partnership for the EU in Brazil. In addition, for the current programming cycle, a multi-country Team Europe initiative with a focus on the Amazon basin is in development, with the aim of preserving the Amazon’s contribution to climate change mitigation and global biodiversity conservation, and of improving its peoples’ socio-economic development, through addressing root causes of key challenges affecting the region, including deforestation and forest degradation.

Our Embassy in Brasilia is also actively engaged on the Amazon; the Embassy team has supported indigenous groups in the region of the Amazon, engaged with civil society organisations focused on supporting these communities, and visited the region and met with federal Government.

Ireland will continue to remain engaged on these issues, including through our EU partners.

As the Deputy will be aware, questions relating to the import and export of beef do not fall under the remit of my Department and would be best directed to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.