FoodDrinkEurope, the EU organization for the food and drink industry, is meeting in Dublin today to call for a comprehensive free trade agreement between the EU and the post-Brexit UK.
Organised by Enterprise Ireland and Food Drink Ireland (FDI), the two day event will include meetings with Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Enda Kenna, minister for jobs, enterprise and innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor, and minister for agriculture, food and marine Michael Creed.
“Ireland is regarded as a major producer of quality food products within the EU and it is testament to the valuable resources, infrastructure and community surrounding the indigenous food and drink industry that the FoodDrinkEurope board chose to conduct their meeting here," said Kenny ahead of the meeting.
"The Government is committed to our membership of the EU and the single market and we look forward to our continued participation with FoodDrinkEurope through Food Drink Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, as we continue to communicate our strengths within the sector and to deepen our trading relationship within the Eurozone.”
Challenges of Brexit
Ireland exports €4.1 billion of food and drink to the UK each year, but this industry could be exposed to trade disruption as a result of Brexit.
"The food industry is one of Ireland’s most important sectors. Enterprise Ireland’s FDI client base employ over 10,000 people in Ireland and represent over 35% of our food exports," said Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland
"The visit of the board of FoodDrinkEurope to Ireland is an excellent opportunity to engage at senior level, allowing Irish exporters the chance to network and exchange ideas with global leaders in the food industry and explore the unique challenges facing the industry by Brexit and at the same time, discuss opportunities for collaboration in the future.”
Single market
Gilles Morel, president of FoodDrinkEurope and regional president of Mars Chocolate for Europe and Eurasia, noted that this disruption could affect countries across the EU, as well as Ireland.
“The EU single market underpins the competitiveness of an industry that has an ambition of generating value added growth of 2.5% - 3.5% per year by 2025 and is vital for further success of our industry. We call on the Irish Government and other member states to defend its future and we will make sure the voice of our sector is heard in the negotiations at European level," said Morel.
"A comprehensive free trade agreement between the EU27 and the UK is necessary in order to minimise economic uncertainty and potential damage to the food and drink sector across all of Europe. Brexit negotiations must also ensure a transition period to protect the integrated supply chains that many European food companies have between EU27 member states and the UK.”
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
