Rejecting Mercosur is the right decision for Irish farmers

Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, John Cummins TD says the Government’s decision to vote against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement is the correct decision for farmers in Waterford.

The deal was approved by qualified majority this morning, Friday January 9^th - despite opposition from Ireland, France, Poland, Austria and Hungary – while Belgium abstained.

Speaking on the deal, Minister Cummins said: “The decision to reject Mercosur reflects the importance of standing up for Ireland’s farmers and agri-food sector and ensuring that trade policy aligns with climate and environmental commitments as well as high health food standards.”

Minister Cummins was on the Fine Gael Programme for Government negotiating team and specifically worked with Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon TD on this section, which stated: “The government will work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal.”

“Fine Gael has been firm in defending farmers and the world-class standards they uphold every day. Any trade agreement must be fair, sustainable and compatible with our environmental goals. In its current form, the Mercosur deal does not meet those standards. We will continue to work with EU colleagues to ensure the safeguards are as robust as possible when it comes to agriculture imports.Ireland’s position sends a clear message at EU level that economic opportunity cannot come at the expense of rural livelihoods or climate responsibility.”