Role of the EU Affairs Section

Our Role

The role of EU Affairs Section is to:

1. Define, coordinate and develop the Department’s position on EU policy matters and its relationship with the EU Institutions.
2. Oversee key aspects of the Department's EU priorities with particular regard to the Europe2020 Strategy and the coordination of relevant inputs into Ireland's National Reform Programme.
3. Irish Presidency 2013 - Departmental management and coordination for Presidency.

Role of Permanent Representation Brussels (PRB)

The role of the PRB is to represent Ireland’s position on a wide variety of topics to the EU Council, the Commission, the European Parliament and other Member States and to keep the Department informed of relevant developments.

The PRB comprises of staff that have been seconded from all Government Departments. The primary function is to serve the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), other key EU Committees, Working Groups and to liaise with EU Affairs Section and relevant Policy Sections in the various Departments. This Department currently has 5 representatives in the PRB working in the area of Trade, Company Law, Consumer Issues, Competition, Research and Development, Intellectual Property and Patents, Industrial Policy, State Aids, Internal Market and Employment.