The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that the EU cannot agree on a Mercosur deal on beef while Brexit uncertainties sill loom.
IFA President Joe Healy has said EU Commission President Jean Claude Junker and Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan must deliver on their commitment to put Ireland first in Brexit and ensure that there is no Mercosur deal on beef while Brexit remains unsorted.
One Step At A Time
“In view of the lack of progress on Brexit and our critical dependence on the UK market for beef exports, the EU cannot agree to increased beef imports from Mercosur,” he said.
Healy added that removing the UK market in Brexit will leave the EU beef market 116% self-sufficient.
“Increasing EU beef imports makes no sense whatsoever and the EU Commission should instruct Commissioner Malmstrom to withdraw beef from the Mercosur negotiations,” he said.
IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods said the latest EU report from the FVO on Brazil shows that they continue to fail to meet EU standards on beef imports.
He said the FVO report is very clear that Brazil is in total breach of the EU regulations and standards in allowing the factories to carry out post-mortem inspections on carcasses.
The Minister for Communications Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, recently said that the importation of beef from outside of the EU not only “undermines the livelihoods of farmers but is also damaging our climate”.
He highlighted that EU beef production was four times more carbon efficient than that of Brazil.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
