MEP for the Midlands-North-West Maria Walsh has said that referring the EU Mercosur Partnership Agreement and trade deal to the European Courts of Justice "only creates more uncertainty for farmers".

The Fine Gael MEP who is a member of the EPP political grouping in the EU has come in for heavy criticism for voting against referring the deal to the courts for legal opinion on whether it complies with EU treaties.

Many farmers feel her decision to do so meant that she is in favour of the Mercosur trade deal and not supportive of farmers.

However speaking to Agriland in Strasbourg today (Wednesday, February 11), MEP Walsh explained that she still totally against the Mercosur trade deal and had it come before the parliament for a vote on the trade deal itself, she would have voted no.

She said that referring it to the courts "only kicked the can down the road", creating more uncertainty for farmers and that she wanted MEPs to have the opportunity to vote down the deal once and for all by summer this year, rather than now having to wait up to two years for it to come back before the parliament.

The MEP said that apart from serious criticism she has faced on social media, she has spoken to many farmers face-to-face and over the phone who were frustrated with her decision.

She said that there can be a lot of misinformation spread by others in politics and stressed that delaying a piece of legislation by tying it up in the courts for up to two years did not serve farmers' best interests.

Walsh was one of 10 Irish MEPs who voted yesterday in favour of safeguards in the trade deal with the South American countries of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

These safeguards aim to protect EU farmers from market distortion for sensitive agricultural products such as beef.

Mercosur is expected to remove duties on 91% of EU exports over a period of 10 years for most products. 

It will allow 99,000t of Mercosur beef to enter the EU market with a 7.5% duty.

The safeguard measures stipulate that the European Commission will launch an investigation into the need for protection measures when imports of products - including poultry, beef, eggs, citrus, and sugar - increase by 5% on a three-year average.

This applies if, at the same time, import prices are 5% below the relevant domestic price.