Thank you, Taoiseach, dear Micheál, for your visionary remarks.
It is a pleasure to be back in Ireland – a country I have visited many times. It is always great to engage with Irish businesses, the agri-food sector, parliamentarians, and civil society, this time mostly on EU trade and economic security policy.
The people that I have met on my visit are clearly outwards-looking. They have an appreciation of Irelands deep integration in the global economy.
And they understand that we are currently operating in a geopolitically challenging environment. Where we must ensure that international trade can keep delivering for Ireland and Europe, as it has been doing for many years.
Over 700,000 EU companies, including many SMEs, export goods outside the EU, supporting over 30 million jobs. Some 752,000 of these jobs are in Ireland. That is 1 out of every 3 jobs.
Exporters can be found throughout Ireland, from distilleries in Dublin to pharmaceutical factories in Westport.
The EU struck a deal with the US this summer to restore the stability and predictability that our economy and companies needed.
Finding new markets for these exports, helping companies source the inputs they need for production, giving consumers better choices and better prices – this is my job as Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security.
That is why we have just concluded a free trade agreement with Indonesia – and I appreciate Irelands support for this deal. It is why we are negotiating at full pace with India and the UAE as well as with the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia – and I would like to see these concluded by 2027 when we celebrate 50 years of EU-ASEAN relations.
More generally, we are operating in a world where many countries are no longer playing by the rules. And we are working hard to protect our economic security – I would be glad to return to this subject during the discussion.
Ireland has always been an important partner, for the other Member States, for the European Commission, for me personally in my previous and current roles.
Time and time again, I have seen Irelands ability to move the needle where it matters. Especially as we approach the Irish Presidency next year.
I sincerely believe that Mercosur is one of these cases where Ireland has managed to move the needle, together with a few other Member States.
Historically, there have been concerns and some criticism from Ireland on this agreement. We have been listening and working around the clock to address these valid concerns.
The proposal that we put on the table on 3 September is not the same as it was in December 2024, and even less so than in December 2019. And that is a good thing because we have improved the deal, reflecting concerns.
Our new proposal further reinforces the safeguard mechanism protecting sensitive Irish and European products against any potential harmful surge in imports from Mercosur.
While rolling out several new measures to address concerns, including on pesticides, animal welfare, and SPS.
Finally, under the new Multiannual Financial Framework, the Commission has set out a strong financial Unity Safety Net with a total capacity of 6.3 billion euros to support farmers in the unlikely event of the agreement having a harmful impact on EU agricultural markets.
I am sure we will return to this subject in a few moments together with Simon Harris.
To conclude, I would just like to say that the EU remains a firm supporter of international cooperation and the rules-based system. Trade plays a crucial part in this regard. There is a lot of work ahead, and I know that we can count on Ireland in this endeavour.
I am very honoured to share the stage with the Tánaiste now.
Thank you.
