Govt wants 'full implementation' of Mercosur commitments - McEntee
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade today (Friday, February 27) said Ireland will continue to work with the European Commission and other EU member states to "address our concerns" on Mercosur.
Minister Helen McEntee said the Irish government also wants "to ensure the full implementation of the commitments" obtained from the European Commission in relation to the Mercosur trade deal.
The European Commission confirmed today that it will provisionally apply the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.
The move comes as Argentina and Uruguay yesterday became the first Mercosur countries to ratify the deal.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference this morning that "Brazil and Paraguay are expected to follow soon".
Minister McEntee said: “I take note of today’s statement by the European Commission President that the commission will apply the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement on a provisional basis following ratification of the agreement by Argentina and Uruguay on February 26.
“While the Council of the EU voted by Qualified Majority Voting to grant authority to the commission to apply the agreement on a provisional basis, Ireland did not support that vote, in particular given our concerns around the agreement’s potential impact on sensitive agricultural products, in particular the beef sector.”
She added: “While Ireland could not support the overall agreement, the Mercosur market provides opportunities for agrifood exports in dairy and spirits as well as pharmaceuticals, engineering and manufacturing.”
Minister McEntee said that she and other government ministers want to to ensure “full implementation of the commitments obtained from the commission to address our concerns with the agreement, including the agriculture safeguard provisions”.
Mercosur reactions
The latest move by the European Commission on the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement has been met with display to both in Ireland and in Europe.
Maria Walsh, MEP Midlands North-West, said: “While provisional application is legally within the commission’s powers, I believe it runs against the spirit of cooperation between EU institutions. MEPs should have had their say before any part of this agreement was activated".
Another Midlands-North-West MEP, Ciaran Mullooly warned that the move "undermines democratic process and legal certainty".
He added: "I strongly condemn the decision by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to proceed with the provisional application of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement.”
Copa Cogeca, the umbrella organisation representing European farmers and agri-cooperatives, described the news as a "further blow to Europe's agriculture".
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) president Sean McNamara said the decision to provisionally apply the trade deal, before the European Parliament has voted and while a legal review is pending, is "beyond frustrating".
"We campaigned long and hard for a legal review of this deal because there are serious questions around it.”
Meanwhile the Sinn Féin leader has said that the government cannot "stand idle" following the decision by the European Commission to provisionally apply the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.
Mary Lou McDonald said the commission's decision is “deeply troubling and far-reaching move” and also raises serious democratic, economic and public interest concerns for Ireland
