Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

43. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he considered the implications for Irish agriculture of the ratification of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement; his views on the likely impact of these treaties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21264/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I believe that free trade agreements are very important to Ireland, given our status as a small, open economy. The negotiation of access to new markets historically has been a big driver of economic development, particularly in the agrifood sector. I believe that this will continue to be the case in the future, and will be crucial to the achievement of the objectives outlined in the Food Wise 2025 strategy.

Ireland’s approach to the negotiation of free trade agreements must therefore be informed by the need to make progress in areas where we have offensive interests, and to strongly defend those areas where threats may arise.

About one-third of all world trade occurs on the EU-US trade corridor, so it is one that is hugely important for Europe and for Ireland. The US is one of our leading trading partners, and in the agrifood sector we have a large and growing trade surplus with them (exports of €869m last year, compared to imports of €271m).

In relation to TTIP, Ireland has both offensive and defensive interests. We see worthwhile opportunities in the US for cheese, powdered milks and sports products, and further opportunities for branded packaged butter, if we can remove some regulatory barriers. Prepared consumer foods and fish could also benefit from trade liberalisation.

Beef is a unique sector in that we have both offensive and defensive interests. In the long term, any significant increase in beef imports to the EU could have adverse effects on the Irish industry. That was confirmed by a number of recent studies and is an issue we have raised strongly with the European Commission. We therefore have legitimate concerns about the size, composition and administration of any beef quota offered to the US.

We should also seek a significant EU quota for beef to the US as part of any TTIP agreement. Following the re-opening of the market, Irish beef exports now fall under a 65,000-tonne quota for ‘other countries’ on a first come, first served basis. This is mainly filled by Latin American countries. Now that we have gained access for manufacturing beef we stand to benefit greatly from a specific EU import quota in the US, and this can only be achieved through TTIP.

A similar, balanced approach informs our view of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada, which was concluded in September 2014. While increased access to the EU market was granted for Canadian beef, greater access to the Canadian market for EU dairy products, notably cheese, was also a feature. However, I think it is also important to ensure that the cumulative impact of beef concessions under CETA and other trade agreements is closely monitored to ensure that the approach continues to be in the best interests of EU and Irish agriculture.