The EU's common commercial or trade policy is an exclusive EU competence. Ireland supports the efforts of the EU to promote values-based trade, linking trade to sustainability issues such as climate change, labour standards and human rights.
The Irish Government is committed to supporting free, fair and open trade. Our EU membership makes us part of the growing network of EU Free Trade Agreements, supporting more opportunity for trade and investment, helping support jobs and growth at home, maintaining strict EU standards on food safety, animal and plant health, and supporting better environmental and human rights standards around the world.
The Government’s Trade and Investment Strategy 2022-2026: Value for Ireland: Values for the World emphasises trade as a powerful driver of prosperity, well-being and improved living standards while recognising in parallel that civil society demands an increased focus on environmental, social and governance dimensions of trade.
Ireland continues to support and seek to influence the EU’s Trade and Sustainability (TSD) agenda as a priority area, drawing on key principles from Ireland’s position paper submitted to the European Commission Review of Trade and Sustainable Development in 2022, such as our support for a country specific approach on TSD that is mindful that countries are at different levels of development, and our prioritisation of a cooperative approach with trade partners on TSD.
