Tech company Amazon has been told by Tánaiste Simon Harris that Ireland will use its presidency of the European Union next year to “advance the competitiveness agenda”.
Mr Harris also told executives from the online retail and cloud computing giant that Ireland has worked to “control what we can control” in the current economic climate. This is a key Government message against a backdrop of uncertainty over US trade tariffs on EU goods.
Amazon, which employs 6,500 people in Ireland and has invested some €22 billion here since 2004, has been vocal in recent years on the need for Europe to boost its competitiveness.
Last month The Irish Times reported that the company has scrapped plans for a €300 million industrial plant in Dublin because it could not secure an electricity supply for the project.
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Mr Harris, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, met representatives of Amazon in Government buildings on May 21st.
A Government note of the meeting was released after a Freedom of Information law request.
It says: “The Tánaiste referenced the current economic climate and listed a number of upcoming initiatives as Ireland worked to control what we can control. Steps in train include the summit on competitiveness and the Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity.”
The note adds: “The Tánaiste highlighted Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2026 where Ireland will also continue to advance the competitiveness agenda. Developments at EU level were noted including as regards simplification and supporting innovations.”
During Ireland’s eighth presidency, which it will share with Lithuania and Greece, Irish representatives will chair meetings of EU ministers in the EU Council, steer the council’s legislative and policy agenda and lead engagement with other EU institutions.
In recent months Amazon has been publicly pushing for measures it argues would improve EU competitiveness.
These include easing “regulatory compliance burdens” for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) regarding producer responsibility recycling schemes that deal with waste items such as packaging and batteries.
Recent online posts show Amazon wants digital labelling of products, the “smooth implementation” of a planned EU VAT “one-stop shop”, and better charging infrastructure for electric commercial vehicles.
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One of the participants in the meeting between Amazon and Mr Harris, the company’s vice-president for EU public policy Lucy C Cronin, wrote last month that the current Danish presidency of the EU has prioritised a “secure Europe” and a “competitive and green Europe”.
Ms Cronin said the Danish government “plans to ‘focus on regulatory simplification and better regulation in the EU to ease daily operations for businesses and other stakeholders’”.
She suggested two areas “where the Danes can turn these aspirations into a meaningful upside for EU SMEs – and therefore EU citizens” are: “The simplification of fragmented extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes” and “the progression toward digital labelling”.
Amazon declined to comment on whether it has asked the Irish Government to focus on specific areas during its EU presidency.
The other Amazon attendees at the meeting with Mr Harris were vice-president and UK and Ireland country manager John Boumphrey, Amazon country manager for Ireland Alison Dunn and AWS country lead Niamh Gallagher.
The note of the meeting says Amazon updated Mr Harris on the launch this year of its Irish store Amazon.ie, of developments in its cloud computing business, and its climate action initiative.
The meeting took place before the deal last month between the EU and US that sees 15 per cent tariffs apply to goods entering the US from the EU.
The note says Mr Harris spoke about the Government’s “efforts to support industry” and its trade forum and how that body “would be happy to engage with Amazon’s sector”.
Mr Harris is said to have “highlighted the Government’s willingness to work with the sector in navigating the present economic uncertainty”.
