Mercosur deal decision a 'slap down' for MEPs - ICMSA
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) has said a European Commission decision to provisionally apply the EU-Mercosur trade agreement undermines the authority of the European Parliament.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed this morning (Friday, February 27) that the commission will proceed with provisional application of the controversial deal.
The move came after Argentina and Uruguay became the first Mercosur countries to ratify the agreement on Thursday.
The agreement can only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its consent.
The parliament is currently awaiting a legal opinion on the deal from the European Court of Justice.
ICMSA
ICMSA president Denis Drennan, said that the move "while technically possible" could only be interpreted as a "slap down of duly elected MEPs".
He said that we are at the "acid test" stage of the process.
"The commission is not elected by the peoples of the member states but is rather nominated by governments.
"In flouting the authority and decision of the parliament in this fashion, we see unelected bureaucrats effectively swiping aside the decision of the duly elected MEPS and saying: ‘We are going to do what we want regardless’.
"Whether you support or oppose Mercosur, ICMSA believes that this is a very worrying development and a matter that should concern everyone and certainly the government," he said.
Beef
The ICMSA president noted that Brazilian beef had "dominated media attention for months", adding that the very legitimate concerns of farmers have not been addressed.
He said farmers never had any issue with free and fair trade based on the same standards.
However, he said they objected strongly to the "lip service" that was being paid to their concerns.
Drennan said most recent revelations in relation to Brazilian beef, as outlined in an EU audit report, should act as "a wake-up call" for food safety regulators and the EU Commission.
"The commission has always had its 'thumb on the scales' as regards Mercosur and tolerance for imported South American beef produced to lower sustainability and environmental standards, but today’s decision shows that this undemocratic bias is right out in the open.
"Ireland voted ‘No’ to Mercosur and the government must now insist that the vote in the EU Parliament is respected and the commission must not be allowed to shamelessly circumvent the decision of the parliament in this fashion," Drennan said.
