Press release
Minister Simon Coveney attending Informal Foreign Affairs Council (Trade)
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney is joining his fellow Ministers with responsibility for Trade at an informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Trade Formation) in Stockholm today. Commission Executive Vice President Dombrovskis is representing the European Commission at the meeting which will be chaired by Mr Johan Forssell, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation, on behalf of the Swedish Presidency.
Ireland believes that EU trade policy outlook should remain open for trade and investment and anchored in the rules based multilateral trading system - while defending our interests when facing unfair trading practices.
Speaking ahead of the Council meeting today Minister Coveney said:
"I am delighted to be in Stockholm for my first informal Trade meeting as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Today we are discussing a range of important issues including our continuing support to Ukraine, our important trade relationship with the US and how EU Trade Policy contributes to competitiveness. I am looking forward to having the chance to engage on these topics with my Ministerial counterparts."
Commenting further on EU Trade Policy, Minister Coveney stated:
"For Ireland, our continued openness to trade is what drives our national but also European competitiveness and should remain at the centre of our Trade Policy, while being cognisant of the need to factor in global economic and trade policy trends in our decision making."
The meeting will begin today with a dinner to discuss current trade policy issues. The dinner will also be attended by Mr Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA).
Trade Ministers will then attend two working sessions on Friday, 10 March. The first session will be focused on ‘EU Trade Relations’ Contribution to Competitiveness’, with the second session focusing on EU–US trade relations. At a working lunch, Ministers will be joined by the First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko to discuss how to develop trade and investments between the EU and Ukraine. Minister Coveney will also take the opportunity with his time in Stockholm to have bilateral discussions with the European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, and a number of other EU trade ministers.