The European Commission must outline how the proposed €1 billion Mercosur ‘safety net’ fund will help Irish farmers in practice, MEP Maria Walsh has said.
MEP Walsh raised the issue of support for farmers at a meeting of the European Parliament Agriculture Committee with Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, and Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, this morning.
MEP Maria Walsh, full member of the Agriculture Committee, said:
“Irish farmers are extremely worried about the impact the proposed Mercosur trade deal will have on their livelihoods. In its current form, the deal will expose family-run enterprises to unfair competition due to an influx of lower standard products.
“Competition and trade is important but not at the expense of European and Irish farmers. If we are asking our farmers to adhere to high environmental standards, then we must expect the same from all other producers in South America. Anything else is a double standard.
“Given the concerns of Irish farmers, which I share, I raised three key issues with Commissioners Šefčovič and Hansen. Firstly, I requested clarity from the Commission on how the €1 billion Mercosur ‘safety net’ fund will practically help farmers through the challenges ahead. Regardless of the value of the fund, it provides little comfort to Irish farmers if they do not know how, or if, it will support their incomes. Crucially, the fund also cannot come out of the same envelope as CAP funding given the reliance of farmers on this for income security.
“My second issue centred on the need for a commitment from the Commission to shelter farmers from unfair competition. Finally, I sought detailed information on the impact the agreement would potentially have on the beef and poultry sectors in particular, given these are two of the sectors facing the most significant challenges.
“Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen heard directly from our farmers about their concerns when he visited Ireland last week, following my invitation. I hope this experience will bring home the reality of the challenges Irish farmers are now facing on the ground.”
