'Not worth the paper they were written on' - Mayo TD slams EU-Mercosur deal

Mayo TD Paul Lawless (Aontú) has claimed that recent events in Brussels expose the reality behind so-called EU “safeguards”, casting serious doubt on the protections being promised to Irish farmers under the proposed Mercosur trade deal.

The so called Mercosur deal between the European Union and four South American countries is currently in its final legislative approval phase.

After 25 years of negotiations, the agreement between the EU and Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will remove these high tariffs and other trade barriers such as unclear rules and regulations or burdensome procedures, so it will be easier for European producers to export to Mercosur.

Deputy Lawless voiced his concerns over safeguards for the fishing industry:

“The blocking of the Hague Preferences, a safeguard that had existed for nearly fifty years to protect Ireland’s fishing communities, should serve as a clear warning about how reliable EU assurances truly are.”

“Only days ago, we saw a long-standing safeguard for Irish fishing quietly set aside when it became inconvenient. The Hague Preferences are in place to protect vulnerable coastal communities, yet when pressure came on, they were blocked and Ireland was left exposed. This experience must now be viewed alongside the Government’s repeated claims that Irish farmers will be protected by safeguards attached to the Mercosur agreement.”

The Deputy Continued “We are being told that Mercosur is different, that safeguards will kick in if Irish agriculture is threatened, but fishermen were told exactly the same thing and when the moment came, those safeguards were not worth the paper they were written on.”

“Mercosur will undoubtedly expose Irish farmers to imports produced to lower environmental, animal welfare and labour standards, while relying on enforcement mechanisms that may never be activated in practice. The reality is this, when EU political or commercial priorities clash with Irish livelihoods, Ireland is expected to absorb the damage. We have just seen that happen with fishing. There is no reason to believe farming will be treated any differently.”

Lawless concluded “ the Government’s failure to veto or escalate the blocking of the Hague Preferences demonstrates how quickly national interests can be sidelined at EU level. If a safeguard with half a century of precedent can be brushed aside, what confidence can farmers have in last-minute clauses attached to a massive trade deal like Mercosur.”

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