There is new energy in Mercosur for a trade deal with the EU since the election of a right-of-centre president in Argentina and encouraged by EU Trade Commissioner Cecelia Malmstrom.

However the EU Trade Policy Committee has noted concerns from several member states on the potential impact on farming.

The IFA has this week repeated its concerns over a possibile Mercosur deal. National chair Jer Bergin called on EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to urgently intervene and prevent an exchange of offers on a trade deal between the EU and South America.

He said a Mercosur trade deal is unequivocally negative for Irish and European agriculture and would particularly damage Ireland’s important beef sector.

He added that pursuing a Mercosur trade deal would undermine the political credibility of EU/US negotiations on the TTIP.