Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has said he is disappointed with the Government’s decision to vote against the Mercosur trade deal between the EU and a group of South American countries.
The Dublin MEP, who has publicly stated his support for the deal before, said the decision was a “testament to the power of the agricultural body” but that the debate in Ireland had “focused exclusively on beef”.
While he said that was an important element, he said other sectors such as pharmaceuticals, tech and chemicals stood to “obviously benefit” from the agreement and from access to a market of 280 million people which had been “completely ignored and set to one side” during the debate.
Mr Andrews said that the safeguards secured during the negotiation of the trade deal were clear, and while he said he would support it in a European Parliament vote to ratify the deal, he now had his doubts over whether that vote could be won.
He also said that it could have been consistent with the Programme for Government to support the deal. “There was never a commitment to never support any trade agreement with Mercosur,” he said, adding that interpreting the programme for government as barring such a step was a “wrong reading of what was promised”.
In Dublin, Sinn Féin accused the Government of failing Ireland on the deal amid an expectation that it will be passed despite Ireland’s opposition.
However, farming organisations have welcomed the Government’s plan to vote against the deal as the right decision.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed Ireland’s decision to oppose it on Thursday in advance of an expected vote on the contentious trade deal between the European Union and a group of South American countries on Friday.
There are growing expectations that the deal will be approved with support from the Italian government. With Rome voting in favour, a blocking minority of European states cannot be assembled.
If that comes to pass, the Irish vote against the deal will be symbolic.
What is the Mercosur trade deal?
The largest trade deal negotiated by the EU, the agreement with four South American Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) would see import duties phased out on 91 per cent of EU goods. In return, these countries could sell goods to the EU with fewer restrictions.
Who is for and against it?
Fans of the deal say it offers access to new markets and helps combat Donald Trump’s tariffs. In Ireland, France and Poland, farmers fear more beef coming into the EU.
The programme for government codifies Ireland’s opposition to the deal, committing the Coalition to “work with like-minded EU countries” in opposing Mercosur.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Coalition of a “large failure” on Mercosur. “Their job was to stop Mercosur being introduced and they failed utterly in that task,” she said.
“They had multiple opportunities to stop Mercosur. They took none of them and now at the 11th hour they are cynically announcing they will vote against it when it is far too late.”
Ms McDonald claimed Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael “refused” to “stand firm” and “build a blocking minority”.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, a Fine Gael TD, described Ms McDonald’s comments as “ridiculous”.
[ The Irish Times view on Mercosur: trade trouble for CoalitionOpens in new window ]
He said Ms McDonald “needs to realise that Ireland’s population is 1.1 per cent of the entire EU population”.
“To have a blocking minority you need at least four member states who combined make up at least 35 per cent of the population.”
He added: “Ireland was never going to be able to do this on its own”.
Farming organisations also said Ireland’s stance on Mercosur is the right decision and called for continued opposition to Mercosur.
Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman said the “so-called safeguards put forward by the EU Commission do not give any assurances that Brazilian beef will meet EU standards”.
He said the IFA’s campaign to oppose Mercosur will continue.
The president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Denis Drennan, said the Government “left it very late, but has come down on the right side”.
Labour Party TD Eoghan Kenny welcomed the decision to oppose the deal but said the Government has acted at the “very last possible moment on a deal that threatens Irish farmers and undermines climate action”.
He claimed the Government “dithered” while farmers, environmental groups and rural communities “warned about the damage this deal would do”.