IRELAND SET TO REJECT EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

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By: Balogun Ibrahim

Ireland’s government has confirmed it will vote against the EU-Mercosur trade deal, citing concerns over its current form.

“The government’s position on Mercosur has always been clear: we did not support the deal as it was presented,” Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said in a statement to AFP ahead of Friday’s vote. “We will vote against the agreement.”

The deal, more than 25 years in the making, aims to create one of the world’s largest free-trade areas, boosting trade between the 27-member EU and the Mercosur bloc, which includes Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay.

However, many European farmers fear they could be undercut by cheaper agricultural products from Brazil and its neighbours.

The EU’s decision on the Mercosur deal was postponed in December due to opposition from France, Italy, Poland, and Ireland.

Ahead of Friday’s vote, EU agriculture ministers held crucial talks, with most member states expected to approve the agreement.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said the concessions offered by the European Commission to address concerns were insufficient for Dublin.

“Unfortunately, the outcome of this negotiation is that, although the EU has agreed to a number of additional measures, they are not enough to satisfy our citizens,” he said.

Speaking in Beijing during an official visit to China, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin told Irish media that “progress has been made” in discussions on issues such as market safeguards and banned pesticides.

However, he added that “we have to be confident” that the standards and obligations set for Irish farmers will not be “undermined” by imports subject to less stringent regulations.

“We have implemented numerous regulations—rightly so—that are very stringent in areas such as consumer protection, food safety, carbon efficiency, and climate protection,” he added.

He noted, “As a result, we now have one of the most carbon-efficient food production systems in the world.”