Work of the Trade Policy Unit

Trade Policy

The section is responsible for coordinating and developing Ireland’s trade policy, representing that policy interest in EU and WTO fora.

The EU fora include the Trade Policy Committees (TPCs) appointed by the EU Council which assists the Commission in trade negotiations.

Other EU trade committees, including those dealing withAnti-Dumping measures, the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for developing countries, and Market Access barriers. The work of the Section is assisted by officials based at Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union, in Brussels, who maintain ongoing contacts with EU Commission and Council officials on trade issues of particular interest to Ireland.

Ireland’s trade policy interests are represented in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the principal international body for regulating trade, with the assistance of departmental officials based at Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the WTO based in Geneva.

The European Commission (Directorate General Trade) website includes details of the current EU positions across the full range of multilateral issues under discussion. The WTO website, provides details in respect of all 153 WTO members and the current negotiations underway in Geneva

Unfair trade and Anti dumping

The European Commission applies trade defence instruments such as anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures which are the most common way of ensuring fair trade is respected. The Commission consults Ireland and the other Member States of the EU at different stages of the proceedings through advisory committees.

The Commission website http://ec.europa.eu/trade/tackling-unfair-trade/trade-defence/ gives more information on the procedures involved, and more information on the specific use of anti-dumping proceedings can be found on http://ec.europa.eu/trade/tackling-unfair-trade/trade-defence/anti-dumping/index_en.htm.

Details of specific cases can be found on http://trade.ec.europa.eu/tdi/notices.cfm.

Useful websites for exporters and importers

Market Access for EU countries, exporting from the EU:

http://madb.europa.eu/mkaccdb2/indexPubli.htm

Market Access for developing countries importing into the EU:

http://exporthelp.europa.eu/display.cfm?page=rt/rt_GeneralRequirements.html&docType=main&languageId=EN,