An EU source told the Irish Farmers Journal that both sides would conclude their meeting in Argentina this week, with an announcement on significant progress but no final agreement as supporters of a trade deal between the EU and Mercosur countries had hoped.
Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan is understood to have resisted pressure from his South American counterparts to put additional beef quotas on the table in the past few days.
’Serious threat’
Speaking from Buenos Aireas on Wednesday morning, IFA president Joe Healy said the trade discussions would be on hold until the New Year without agreement but warned that the serious threat from a bad deal on beef and poultry has not gone away.
“Beef is more important to Ireland than any other member state. The Taoiseach and Commissioner Hogan cannot agree to a Mercosur deal involving a major increase in substandard beef imports from Brazil at the same time as we face into the serious challenges of Brexit,” Healy said. He called on European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström to reject the “environmental destruction, failures on food safety and animal welfare, and slave labour associated with Brazilian beef”.
European Parliament inquiry
Meanwhile, a group or MEPs are calling for a European parliamentary inquiry into food safety standards in Brazilian beef. French MEP Michel Dantin said he would introduce the motion with the EPP group, which includes Irish Fine Gael MEPs, on Wednesday evening.
The proposed inquiry would investigate “alleged contraventions and maladministrations in the application of EU law in relation to the operation of controls and certification procedures by the Brazilian authorities over the production of fresh meat destined for export to the EU”.
Phelim O’Neill contributed reporting for this story.
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