Six

Work ambitiously across Government with our EU and international partners to achieve progress in EU and International fora, across a wide range of interests, including Brexit.

The Department has a strong engagement in a wide range of EU policy fields and takes the lead on Ireland’s trade and competitiveness policy, including at EU and WTO level. We have overall responsibility for national trade policy and lead on EU and WTO trade matters. Working across Government and with our EU and international partners, we will continue to represent Ireland at EU level, engaging with EU institutions including at Competitiveness and Trade Councils, to influence emerging policies that will support the delivery of our jobs, competitiveness and growth agendas. The Department will continue to advocate ambitious initiatives to deepen the Single Market, especially in services, and the Digital Single Market, in policy areas within our responsibility, and to support the continued mainstreaming of competitiveness across other policy fields. DBEI also has responsibility for export licences and dual use and military goods, under EU and other International agreements. Ongoing research and stakeholder engagement is being undertaken to develop evidence based policy to support these aims. We will continue our active engagement, including through the Council’s preparatory bodies, with the European Semester in respect of the jobs and growth agenda, guidelines and country specific recommendations.

One of the most significant challenges that we face is the UK exit from the EU. We will work in collaboration with colleagues across Government to ensure the most advantageous outcome, for Ireland and for the EU, to minimise the impact on Irish enterprises, employees and consumers. We will seek to grow and deepen trading partnerships and enhance our networking with other Member States and with EU institutions, to mitigate for the loss of the UK as a like-minded ally within EU negotiations. We will also continue to maintain and strengthen a strong bilateral relationship with the UK. We will work to promote and safeguard Ireland’s interests across the range of important WTO developments that are expected to arise over the course of this strategy, (including the finalisation of an Environmental Goods Agreement, the implementation of a revised Information Technology Agreement, the expansion in coverage of the Government Procurement Agreement, the finalisation of a Trade in Services Agreement (in parallel to the WTO), and expected important developments in respect of Agriculture and Digital Trade). Ireland’s first full membership of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation from 2017-2020 represents an opportunity for the Department to influence the development of the international agenda in respect of the Future of Work. We will contribute to Ireland’s implementation plan progressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will take lead responsibility for six SDG targets and share responsibility for another two targets in areas such as employment, safe and secure working environments, fostering innovation and encouraging companies to adopt and report on sustainable practices.

Outcomes

Achievement of the EU’s strategic agenda, and Ireland’s interests strongly represented, in the areas

of competitiveness, trade, company law, insolvency and consumer affairs.

Achievement of the EU’s and Ireland’s goals, including for business, consumers and employees, in

the negotiations on the UK’s departure from the EU.

Minimised trade disruption and maximised opportunities arising from the UK’s exit from the EU.

Trade agreements negotiated, concluded and implemented, reflecting Ireland’s strategic objectives

and facilitating greater trading opportunities for Irish businesses.

Successful results on the range of important WTO developments that are expected to arise over the

period covered by this Strategy that facilitate export growth and better access to global goods and

services inputs.