Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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767. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the UK-Australia beef trade deal and the effect that it will have on Ireland [53275/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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On 16th June 2021, the UK and Australian Governments announced that they had reached a political agreement in principle for a new UK-Australia trade agreement. The agreement has not yet been ratified or entered into force.

I note that the agreement provides for significant new market access for Australian goods exports to the UK. This is also the case for the most sensitive agriculture products, including beef and lamb, in respect of which there will be full tariff-free access at the end of 15 years, preceded by significant tariff-free quotas for these products in the interim.

As a large exporter of agri-food products, including to the UK market, the provisions of this new agreement have the potential to create increased competition for Irish exports to the UK, which could result in knock-on impacts on EU markets.

I have been urging the European Commission, including through the EU Agriculture Council of Ministers, to take into account in EU trade policy the development of potential cumulative impacts of these new UK trade agreements.

At the recent Council meeting in Luxembourg, the Commission committed to carrying out an analysis of the potential impacts of the new UK agreements with Australia and New Zealand on EU markets, in particular impacts which could result in the displacement of EU products, including Irish products, from the UK market.

I will assess this Commission analysis when I receive it and it will help to inform any actions we need to take at EU level to address potential negative impacts for EU and Irish producers from new UK third country trade agreements.

We must always ensure that the livelihoods of our own farm families are protected and enhanced.