The decision by MEPs to refer the Mercosur deal to European courts is a victory for "farmer pressure" according to the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA). 

Sean McNamara, ICSA president, welcomed the vote by MEPs to refer the EU Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA) and its Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) to the European Courts of Justice (CJEU).

Speaking from Strasbourg today (Wednesday, January 21) where he is taking part in a protest against the trade deal with farmers from across Europe, McNamara said the result shows that Mercosur is "far from a done deal and that sustained farmer pressure is having a real impact".

EU Parliament president Roberta Metsola put the motion by MEPs to the plenary session of the parliament and the majority of MEPs voted to seek legal advice on the deal, by a tight margin of 334 in favour to 324 against. There were 11 abstentions.

Commenting on the result McNamara said:"That is a clear signal that serious concerns remain and that this agreement cannot simply be waved through."

Mercosur

Although the ICSA president has acknowledeged that today's vote is not a vote on the Mercosur trade deal itself, he believes it is still "a decisive move".

According to McNamara this move "could delay ratification by up to two years" and in his opinion stop the deal entirely.

"Anyone claiming Mercosur was inevitable has been proven wrong.

"We never accepted that and today shows that standing firm and keeping the pressure on does work," the ICSA president stated.

Trade deal

McNamara today warned that any move to split the agreement and provisionally apply the trade elements of the deal while the legal process is ongoing would be "completely unacceptable".

“To try to push this through while the court is examining it would be a slap in the face to democracy and to every farmer who has taken the time to stand up and be heard.

"We will not be backing down," he added.