Govt seeking 'sufficient clarification' before final decision on Mercosur
The Tánaiste has confirmed that "engagements" are continuing with the European Commission over the Mercosur trade deal and that the government will seek "sufficient clarification" on priority areas before any final decision on the deal.
Tánaiste Simon Harris has re-iterated again that the Irish government is opposed to the current Mercosur trade deal.
"Since the commission announced the conclusion of negotiations, officials from my department and other departments, including the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), have been working together to carefully analyse the text of the additional legal instrument addressing sustainability commitments.
" Furthermore, I and my officials have engaged with the commission and with counterparts in other EU member states to interrogate the outcome of negotiations to assess if our concerns have been adequately addressed," the Tánaiste told the Dáil this week.
According to Simon Harris engagements with the commission are continuing because the government wants further clarification on key issues including "climate, biodiversity, deforestation and the protection of farmer’s incomes in advance of any final decision on the agreement".
Separately the leader of Independent Ireland, Michael Collins, said a briefing held by the European Commission on the Mercosur trade deal in Leinster House had not allayed its concerns about the deal.
Deputy Collins accused commission officials of "trying to convince Irish lawmakers that this deal is somehow good for Ireland".
"This is a deal that will damage Irish beef and poultry farmers.
"No matter how they spin it, the Irish farming sector has nothing to gain — and everything to lose," he added.
The party's agriculture spokesperson, Galway-Roscommon TD , Michael Fitzmaurice, also warned today (Friday, May 23) that the deal could "flood the market with cheap, hormone-treated meat from Brazil".
The European Commission however maintains that the Mercosur agreement would create "new opportunities" for Irish farmers because it will remove Mercosur tariffs of up to 55% on EU agri-food products.
The commission has also underlined that the terms of the agreement will not provide duty-free access to Mercosur beef.
But it will allow 99,000 tonnes of Mercosur beef to enter the EU market with a 7.5% duty - 55% of the quota will consist of fresh or chilled meat and 45% of lower-value frozen meat.
According to Deputy Fitzmaurice this would be "potentially devastating for Irish farming".
He added "Irish farmers are being forced to meet the highest environmental standards, while this deal rewards production linked to mass deforestation in the Amazon.
"It’s utterly hypocritical."
