EU-Mercosur trade deal approved - RTÉ is reporting
EU nations have just approved the EU-Mercosur trade deal by qualified majority, RTÉ News is reporting.
Ireland, France, Poland, Austria and Hungary opposed the deal, while Belgium abstained.
The rest of the EU member states, including Italy, approved the deal.
Party leader Roderic O'Gorman said that the traded deal is "not fair to Irish farmers, who have to compete with food raised to much lower welfare standards.
"It's not fair to Irish consumers, who will be exposed to beef reared using excessive hormones and pesticides.
"And it's not fair to the environment across South America, as it will encourage further deforestation."
What is the agreement?
For those unaware, the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) is a South American trade bloc established in 1991, consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, with Bolivia set to fully join soon.
The bloc does have a list of associate countries, which includes Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname.
The trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur has been in the works for over 25 years, with negotiations beginning in 1999.
Some EU states are opposed to the agreement, while others are strong supporters of it. A key benefit is an expected €4 billion saved in customs duties, if it is passed.
Currently, there are high tariffs on goods like machinery and pharmaceuticals between the two regions.
What are the Irish concerns?
In Ireland, representatives from the agricultural and farming industries have been in strong opposition to the deal, calling on the government to vote against it, which they now have.
The deal proves an unattractive proposition for Ireland’s farming and agricultural industry, with many raising concerns on both the quality and safety of South American beef and its impact on beef prices in the EU. Currently, there are tariffs on beef imports from the Mercosur area, at around 45%.
There are different quotas for fresh and chilled meat, but Irish farmers are deeply concerned about the impact this may have on high-value cuts of meat.
Another concern is that all imports into the EU, including beef, are required to comply with EU regulations surrounding sanitation and quality.
Irish farmers have been calling out the use of antibiotics in Mercosur states, and are concerned about the use of hormones in some countries.
This is backed up by a recent discovery of Brazilian beef that had been imported to the EU, arriving in Ireland, and is now being recalled by the Food Safety Authority.
Reaction to the agreement
On Thursday, farmers and workers across the agricultural sector in France descended on Paris city centre with 20 tractors as a form of protest the agreement.
Back home, a planned protest will take place in Athlone on Saturday, with MEP Ciaran Mullooly of Independent Ireland, saying “the battle is far from over.”
Although uncertain, one thing is clear: Irish farmers are deeply concerned about the ramifications for both the Irish and EU market when it comes to the proposed Mercosur Trade Agreement.