Memorandum by the Department of External Affairs for
Josephine McNeill (The Hague)
'Ireland and OEEC'

Ireland gives full support to the principle of economic co-operation among the countries of Europe, and was one of the sixteen countries who signed in April, 1948 the Convention setting up the OEEC and pledging its members to close co-operation in the economic field. We have since then taken an active part in the work of the OEEC and have based our economic relations with other European countries on the principles enshrined in the Convention.

While Ireland approaches the European economic problem as part of a world problem and is convinced that its ultimate solution must be found as part of a global solution, she regards the existence of a specifically European organisation for economic co-operation as of crucial importance to the European community. Such an organisation happily already exists in the OEEC which despite the temporary circumstances of its origin has still, in the Irish view, a vital role to play in this sphere.

Ireland’s active membership of the OEEC is reflected in our vice-chairmanship of the Organisation in 1949 and 1952, membership of the Executive Committee in 1950 and our having provided, since the inception of the Organisation, the Chairman of the Food and Agriculture Committee; in the work of this Committee Ireland has, of course a special interest. We have promoted and supported action by the OEEC to restore a stability and viability to Europe’s economy. Thus, in the field of the liberalisation of intra-European trade, to which the Organisation has devoted much of its energies, Ireland was among the first countries to achieve both the 60% and 75% stages of liberalisation.

Ireland is resolved to play her part in the work of the OEEC. In our trade relations with other countries, we have worked within the framework of the Organisation.

Before the founding of OEEC the traditional pattern of Ireland’s trade was almost entirely with Britain. Since then, however, the Irish Government has made every effort to extend trading relations with European countries and to this end trade agreements have been negotiated with a number of countries e.g. France, Germany, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Norway, Finland and Iceland. All of these agreements, though they differ naturally in that some have special provisions relating to traditional imports and exports between Ireland and the country involved, have as their object the expansion of trade in both directions.

Our trade agreements with other member countries of OEEC – France, Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Iceland, Portugal and Switzerland – contain a special clause emphasising that the economic and trading relations between the two countries are governed by the spirit of the Convention for European Economic Co-operation. Ireland is convinced that it is by this spirit, and this spirit only, that Europe will find that stability and progress for which all her people so earnestly hope.