The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has once again called on the EU Trade Commissioner, Cecelia Malmstrom, to take beef off the table in the EU/Mercosur negotiations.
President of the IFA Joe Healy said that in light of the potential damage of Brexit, ‘there is no way the EU Commission can propose to advance a Mercosur negotiation which involves a major increase in beef imports’.
“Such a deal would be sabotage and a sell-out of the European Union beef and livestock sector,” he said.
Make It Clear
Healy called on Leo Varadkar to make it clear to President Juncker that Ireland will not ratify any deal which undermines the interests of Irish farmers.
He said that Ireland must stand and insist that Europe rejects beef imports which fail to meet key standards on traceability, food safety, and the environment.
He warned against any half-hearted attempts or a quick deal, especially during the current political climate, as it would be ‘a complete breach of trust’.
“Brazil has a willful disregard for environmental concerns, having said they do not accept the Paris Accord and increased beef exports are responsible for major deforestation in the Amazon,” he added.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
