Mercosur deal fast-tracked as referral backfires
The President of the IFA warned that the decision by the EU Commission to allow the Mercosur deal to come into effect provisionally – pending a decision by the European Parliament – did not take away from the issues for farmers here.
“The Commission is saying this week that more audits will be done in Brazil. But this underlines how inadequate the existing oversight is,” said Francie Gorman.
“The findings from the IFA/Farmers Journal investigation six months ago laid bare the inability of Brazil to meet the standards set down by the EU.
“The Commission cannot expect farmers to have trust in the system when they see the scale of the shortcomings,” he added.
Local Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh who said that the accelerated application of the Mercosur agreement follows a referral to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) earlier this year – a move which, she warned at the time, risked fast-tracking the deal rather than halting it.
In January, nine Irish MEPs voted to refer the EU–Mercosur trade agreement to the ECJ. MEP Walsh cautioned that such a step would not stop the deal, but instead could trigger its provisional implementation, bypassing the normal parliamentary ratification process and increasing uncertainty for Irish farmers.
Maria Walsh, a full member of the Agriculture Committee, said that the trade elements of the Mercosur deal now apply for Irish farmers – without a full vote on the deal in the European Parliament.
This outcome is due in no small part to the decision by some MEPs to refer it to the European Court of Justice earlier this year,
“This outcome is due in no small part to the decision by some MEPs to refer it to the European Court of Justice earlier this year,” she said.
“While I strongly oppose the Commission’s decision to provisionally element the deal, it comes as no surprise. I warned my fellow MEPs that referring Mercosur to the ECJ would not block the deal – it would only change the route by which it comes into force.
“Many MEPs will now express anger at the implementation of Mercosur. However, these same voices must reflect on the consequences of their actions, and the decisions that led us to this point. The referral has not delayed the deal – it has accelerated it. And in doing so, it has increased uncertainty for Irish farmers and the wider agri-food sector,” she concluded.
IFA leader Francie Gorman said co-decision within the EU means the role of the European Parliament should be respected in the process.
“MEPs are directly elected in each Member State, unlike the EU Commission which is appointed. As the Parliament has a say, it should have its input before any further move was made,” he said.
He said IFA will continue to oppose the deal because of the failure of beef and poultry imports from the Mercosur region to meet the very rigorous standards that apply to European producers.