In response to a number of questions from MEPs on the agricultural impact of a Mercosur deal during a Parliamentary plenary debate on Tuesday, Commissioner Malmström said she would not confirm whether beef has been taken off the table.

The first trade offer between the EU and Mercosur countries is due tomorrow, Wednesday 11 May.

Speaking at Queen's University Belfast on Monday, European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said publically that beef would not be part of the EU's trade offer to Mercosur countries. He re-stated the same position in Wales on Tuesday.

However, Malmström refused to confirm the exclusion of beef to two Irish MEPs who asked specifically about it during Tuesday's debate.

Both Marian Harkin and Luke Ming Flanagan asked the Commissioner directly if "beef was off the menu", to which Malmström replied: "I will not confirm what is in and what is not in the offer because we are still finalising it. We will share what is in the EU offer once we receive the offer from the Mercosur countries."

Concerns on Mercosur

Four Irish MEPS - Mairead McGuinness, Seán Kelly, Harkin and Flanagan - spoke during the debate. All of them raised the concerns the Irish and European agricultural sector would have in the event of beef remaining in the negotiations between the two blocs.

McGuinness said she wanted more detail from Malmström on how agriculture would be taken into account. She also asked her to explain the rationale around the previous and much-criticised agreement to offer Mercosur countries a 78,000t tariff-rate quota for beef, the agreement the MEPs are now hoping will be excluded from Wednesday's offer.

McGuinness also referenced the agricultural impact report on Mercosur that is currently being carried out by Malmström's department, the results of which will not be available until autumn 2016.

She said: "I'd rather we waited for the outcome of this report before we sign any deals".

Malmström response

In response to the concerns raised, Malmström said she is "very aware of the crisis in the EU agricultural sector".

However, she also claimed there would be positive outcomes for European farmers from this free-trade agreement (FTA), citing the fact that 60% of our agricultural imports from Mercosur countries are soya and feed stock for our own cows and pigs.

"A successful FTA would eliminate tariffs on these products making it less expensive for farmers," she said.

She also said there is already a trade surplus when it comes to dairy and pigmeat exports to Mercosur countries, and "more could be exported through an FTA".

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