Why Ireland is opposing the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement

A MERCOSUR EXPLAINER

Regan Kelly

EU member states will have the opportunity to vote for or against the contentious Mercosur Trade Agreement, with protests erupting across Ireland and France.

The government hadn't given a concrete stance on its decision until Thursday, when Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris announced that Ireland would vote against the agreement.

What is the agreement?

For those wondering what it's all about, 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 Irish concerns?

In Ireland, representatives from the agricultural and farming industries have strongly opposed 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 imported to the EU, arriving in Ireland, and has since been recalled by the Food Safety Authority.

Europe remains divided on the vote, with Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Germany, and Finland strong supporters of the deal.

While France, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium are all raising concerns about the deal.

No decision has been made yet, and even if many countries vote for the deal, it would need to be ratified with a majority vote by at least 15 member states. A blocking majority requires countries representing 35% of the EU population.

Crucially Italy had been opposed to the deal as recently as last month, but have been wavering in recent weeks with media reports suggesting they are now likely to vote for it.

Reaction

This isn't stopping those in opposition from showing their discomfort with the deal, though. On Thursday, farmers and workers across the agricultural sector in France descended on Paris city centre with 20 tractors as a form of protest against the agreement.

Back home, a planned protest will take place in Athlone on Saturday, with MEP Ciaran Mullooly of Independent Ireland, asserting “the battle is far from over”.