“I strongly welcome the positive outcome of today’s EU-UK summit. For the Irish agri-food and fisheries sectors, the agreements reached between the EU and UK are of the utmost importance, and promise a fair and stable future relationship which will benefits these sectors in Ireland and in the UK. Recent trade tensions have led to concerns for our farmers, fishers and food and drink businesses. Having certainty and stability with the UK as our key trading partner will be reassuring to all those in the agri-food and marine sectors”.

“The commitment to extend the reciprocal access for EU and UK vessels to fish in each other’s waters, with no change to existing quota shares, is welcome. Ireland’s fishermen and women require certainty in order to make sustainable, long-term decisions for their businesses. The significant time period covered by this agreement, up to June 2038, ensures that responsible sustainable fishing practices, as agreed between the EU and the UK, will continue. This is welcome news for all the fishermen and women who work hard to ensure the long-term sustainability of shared stocks”.

“The UK remains by far the most important market for Irish agri-food exports, and we also have significant imports from the UK. There are long established and mutually beneficial trading relationships between food producers in Ireland and food businesses and retailers in the UK. SPS, or sanitary and phytosanitary standards, relates to food safety and animal and plant health controls and standards. The commitment today towards the negotiation of an SPS Agreement between the EU and the UK is very welcome. It is also welcome that this will be based on ‘dynamic alignment’ by the UK with EU food safety standards and rules. In relation to Irish exports, a comprehensive SPS Agreement would greatly reduce the administrative burden on agri-food businesses exporting to the UK. My Department produces around 80,000 veterinary export certificates a year to accompany Irish agri-food exports to the UK. A comprehensive SPS agreement would eliminate the requirement for almost all of these certs. In relation to imports, a comprehensive SPS agreement would remove the requirement for food safety controls and checks on agri-food imports from the UK, which are currently carried out by my Department at Irish ports and airports”.

“I will closely follow progress on these SPS negotiations, and I hope that they will conclude successfully in as short a period as possible”.

“The agreement to extend the current arrangements between the EU and UK up to June 2038 provides very welcome long-term certainty for the Irish fishing sector. The agreement provides the Irish industry with the opportunity to continue to make strategic adjustments and investments into the future. This result reflects the mutual importance of the fishing industry and its communities to the economies of both the UK and the EU. The outcome reflects strong cooperation and unity of purpose between the eight Member States whose fisheries have been most impacted by Brexit, with support from the remaining Member States and the Commission”.

“The UK is our closest and most important export market. Today’s commitment to a comprehensive SPS agreement will be of significant benefit to Irish food and drink businesses. They can now plan for a future without the current administrative burdens associated with exporting to the UK”.

“The UK is the number one export destination for our exports of forest products and horticulture. I look forward to the increased opportunity that will result from an SPS agreement to reduce the burden on exporting businesses”.