1.1 Introduction

1.1 Introduction

How we achieve this:

• Work with our EU and international partners and build and strengthen alliances to shape emerging policies, regulation and international agreements that impact Ireland’s economic and business environment.

The mission of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as outlined in its Statement of Strategy 2021– 2023, is as follows:

• Advocate for new and exploit existing EU Free Trade Agreements to expand Ireland’s trade into new markets.

• Ensure that Ireland’s position on all trade deals supports the transition to a sustainable global economy including the aims of the Paris Climate Agreement.

We will lead on sustainable economic development and recovery through the creation and maintenance of high quality employment across all regions of our country:

• Work across Government and with our EU partners to identify and remove barriers to trade, particularly in services, to secure a fully functioning EU Single Market for the benefit of our exporters, businesses and other consumers.

• By championing enterprise

• Ensuring a competitive business base to incentivise work, enterprise, innovation and investment

• Advocate at EU level for policy and regulation that promotes an innovation-friendly digital economy.

• Strengthening global connections and promoting trade

• Assist enterprise to enter and benefit from international markets and to expand into new markets.

• Promoting fair and competitive markets, best business practice

• Safe, flexible and decent workplaces through the regulatory and enforcement work of the Department, its Offices and its Agencies

• Work with our agencies as part of Team Ireland abroad to promote our exports and highlight Ireland’s attractiveness for investment and innovation, to capitalise on global shifts in business models and emerging disruptive technologies and attract the next wave of technology and business activity.

The Department, together with its Offices and Agencies and working closely with stakeholders and across government, has played a lead role in addressing the major challenges that Ireland has faced over 2020. This collaborative effort has contributed to maintaining our inward investment model and our exporting base and supporting SME’s during the pandemic.

• Reform and re-mandate the former Export Trade Council to establish a new Trade and Investment Council.

• Progress Joint Economic Commissions.

• Develop a new national strategy for Trade and Investment, including governance structures to support implementation.

Through its lead role in trade and investment policy the Department strives to increase the productive capacity of the economy. Working closely with other Departments and Agencies, we aim to maintain growth in exports and to continue to attract foreign direct investment across our cities and regions.

• Carry out an economic and sustainability assessment of the EU/Mercosur trade agreement to inform the Government.

• Ensure rigorous enforcement of EU Export Controls and Trade Sanctions, in support of global security and human rights.

As a Department we work to deepen and extend Ireland’s global business and trade in a fair and sustainable manner supportive of high labour standards and grow further the all-island economy.

• Strengthen important supply chains on the island of Ireland to grow cross-border trade, and foster opportunities for collaboration in the context of a Shared Island.

• Work jointly with the European Commission and EU Member States to ensure that the WTO is at the heart of a global, rules-based, multilateral trading system, delivering on its negotiating, dispute settlement and trade capacity building and outreach remits.

• Lead on Ireland’s engagement with the Council of Europe in relation to the European Social Charter and the International Labour Organisation, coordinating their wide-ranging agendas across Government with a focus on employment and labour market standards.