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Ireland will continue to voice its opposition to a potential trade deal with the South American Mercosur trade bloc, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said.
Minister Creed said Ireland would oppose any deal that would have negative consequences for the Irish and EU agriculture sectors, particularly the beef sector.
During negotiations in late 2017, the EU offered Mercosur a beef tariff rate quota (TRQ) of 70,000t. Minister Creed said Ireland strenuously objected to the offer and has continued to work with other EU countries and the European Commission to ensure no further concessions are made.
It had been rumoured that Mercosur was offered an allocation of up to 99,000t for beef to enter the EU at a lower cost.
Talks
The minister delivered the latest update on the discussions in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue.
He said the latest talks took place in Buenos Aires in Argentina on 13 May but no date has yet been set for the next round of negotiations.
Minister Creed said: “In an overall sense, there is undoubtedly a need for continued vigilance in relation to the conduct of these trade negotiations. I will continue to insist that they are handled appropriately, and in a manner that safeguards the interests of the Irish and European beef sector.
“I also continue to stress that full account must be taken of the findings of the Commission’s own assessment of the cumulative impact of trade deals on the agri-food sector, and the potentially very damaging impact of Brexit on an already delicately balanced EU beef market,” he said.
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