Member states will have to individually approve any proposed trade deal with Mercosur, which will mean the Dáil can block a deal according to the ICMSA.

Farm organisations have vehemently protested against a proposed EU trade deal with the South American trading bloc which could see in excess of 100,000t of South American beef granted access to the EU market.

Potentially catastrophic development for the Irish beef sector

President of the ICMSA, Pat McCormack said that the vote each individual member state has given Ireland “a perfect opportunity” to stop what Pat McCormack described as “a potentially catastrophic development for the Irish beef sector”.

Member States

The president was referring to comments made after the EU Foreign Affairs Council yesterday, which stated that Member States will need to individually approve any proposed trade deal with Mercorsur.

McCormack continued that South American beef sold in the EU would undoubtedly undercut beef markets, and that the government’s negotiating position had now been considerably strengthened.

He emphasised that in the event that the Mercosur agreement was put to the Oireachtas, that the ICMSA would lobby strenuously against it.

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