An Irish MEP has called on the government here to join an action taken by Poland to the Courts of Justice of the EU against the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement.

On Friday (April 24), Poland's deputy prime minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the country will file a complaint with the court regarding the trade deal.

The deputy prime minister said (in remarks translated from Polish): "We consistently act for the benefit of farmers. First, effective fight in Brussels, now the next step - the firm stance of the Polish government.

"Not too late. Precisely when it's needed. We defend Polish consumers and farmers against threats and unfair competition," he added, saying that his party, the Polish People's Party, will "not back down".

Irish MEP Ciaran Mullooly welcomed the development, and called on the Irish government to support and join Poland in pursuing the case.

"I commend the Polish government for standing up in defence of farmers," Mullooly said.

"This development presents an ideal opportunity for the Irish government to act on the clear commitments contained in the Programme for Government, which states that Ireland will work with like-minded countries to oppose the Mercosur agreement. That time for action is now," the Independent Ireland MEP added.

He also called on the government to formally request that the European Commission defer any provisional application of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement until the court has issued its ruling on the Polish legal challenge.

"It would be entirely inappropriate for the European Commission to proceed with the provisional application of this agreement while a serious legal challenge to its validity is before the Court," Mullooly claimed.

The EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, which will allow an additional 99,000t of beef from Mercosur countries into the EU at a considerably reduced tariff, is set to apply from this Friday (May 1).

"The Irish government should immediately request that the commission defer any such application until the Court has made its determination," Mullooly said.

"Poland has now taken the lead. Ireland must not stand on the sidelines.

"If the government is serious about defending Irish farmers and opposing this agreement, it must join Poland’s legal challenge and request that the commission defer provisional application until the court has ruled," the Midlands North-West MEP added.

It is understood that May 26 is the deadline for other member states to join the case.