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Minister Byrne holds talks with key Commissioners in Brussels on Covid-19 and Rule of Law
Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, T.D, visited Brussels on Monday 22 March for a series of meetings with members of the European Commission. Among the issues discussed were the continuing challenges posed by Covid-19 and the Rule of Law.
Speaking about the visit, the Minister said –
The meetings today were part of my work to continue to develop and strengthen Ireland’s relationship with all the key EU Institutions, including President von der Leyen’s Commission. I was very pleased to meet with a number of Commissioners to speak about some of the most pressing current issues on the EU agenda, and not least coordination in relation to Covid-19 and the roll-out of the vaccination programme. I also had an opportunity to discuss the rule of law, which Ireland views as a core value of the European Union.
During his visit, Minister Byrne met with Mr. Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice; Ms. Věra Jourová, Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency; and Ms. Mairead McGuinness, Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union. Minister Coveney and Minister Byrne also met with Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.