The Chamber

European Chamber of Ireland on Brexit diplomatic mission

Trade body wants to alert EU decision-makers to challenges faced by Irish businesses

Earlier in March, the European Chamber of Ireland went on a diplomatic offensive to ensure key European Union decision-makers in continental Europe understand the challenges of Brexit to Irish business.

The trade body began a two-day Brexit engagement mission in Brussels from Wednesday 8th March. It planed a series of meetings to discuss issues of concern with the European Commission and MEPs from Ireland and Germany.

The chamber delegation also had separate meetings with German EU commissioner Günter Oettinger and Irish EU commissioner Phil Hogan.

“Ireland and the UK trade over €1 billion worth of goods and services every week and over €60 billion per annum,” said chamber president Jack Golden. “As business leaders in Ireland, we will be underlining our concerns about the very real Brexit-related difficulties faced by businesses.”

According to Mr Golden: “As the EU member state most connected with Britain, Ireland is at particular risk from the market volatility that Brexit is likely to bring in its wake and needs the full support of its EU partners to mitigate the impact of the UK leaving the EU.

“We wish to ensure that Ireland’s special circumstances are recognised in Brussels, Berlin and the other EU capitals and taken into account in the upcoming Brexit negotiations.”

Please click here to read the full report of the trip.

Picture taken during the actual Brexit engagement mission to Brussels that this article refers to. 

Members of the delegation party with Irish Commissioner to the EU, Phil Hogan, and including Cliona McGowan, Director FICC and Noel Cunningham, Mazars and a Patron of FICC.