Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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291. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views as to closer European Union engagement with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24498/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed on 8 March 2018 in Santiago, Chile between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The UK is in the process of accession to the CPTPP.

The Government is committed to supporting free, fair and open trade. Our EU membership gives us access to a growing network of EU Free Trade Agreements, which fall under the exclusive competence of the European Commission. Free Trade Agreements enable opportunities for exports and investment, helping support jobs and growth at home while maintaining strict EU standards on food safety, animal and plant health, and supporting better environmental and human rights standards around the world.

Recent developments in the international trading environment have highlighted more than ever the importance of market diversification via an expanded set of EU Free Trade Agreements.

As recently as April 2025 EU President von der Leyen spoke to Christopher Luxon, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, to discuss the prospects for closer cooperation between the EU and the CPTPP, in which New Zealand plays a leading role. The Government fully supports the work being done to deepen our trade links with potential markets in the Asia-Pacific region.