Misinformation is circulating about my vote on the Mercosur trade deal in the European Parliament. Here are the facts.
Are you now in favour of Mercosur?
Absolutely not.
I’m strongly opposed to Mercosur and will be voting against the trade agreement when MEPs have the chance. In fact, I wanted to vote on the final deal last week, and I think if we did, we would have had the strongest possible chance of defeating it once and for all. Instead, we’ve caused more uncertainty and instability for our farmers by voting on referring it to the Court of Justice and not on the final deal itself.
Then why did you vote against referring the Mercosur deal to the European Court of Justice?
One key reason – this vote does not pause the Mercosur deal; in fact, it opens the door for it to enter into force even quicker.
Referring Mercosur to the court does not necessarily stop the deal. Legally, as per the EU treaties, the deal can now be provisionally implemented – without MEPs voting on it and potentially without the guarantee of safeguards for farmers.
This will cause up to two years of uncertainty for farmers. It could impact your investments, business planning, and trade decisions.
I don’t want this for any farmer.
What happens now?
Firstly, Mercosur will hang over the heads of farmers for up to two years. This will impact business planning, investments, and trade.
Secondly, during this time, the Commission could decide to provisionally implement the Trade agreement, without MEPs voting on it and possibly without the guarantee that the safeguards for farmers would apply.
I will be fighting to ensure this doesn’t happen, but the truth is, under EU law and as per the EU treaties, the deal can now be provisionally implemented.
What do you say to farmers who wanted you to vote in favour?
Firstly, I understand why you’re concerned – Mercosur has serious risks for our beef sector and for your livelihood. I’ve spent months speaking with farmers, and as one myself, I completely understand the fear and uncertainty.
However, last week’s vote does not help you or your business. It creates more uncertainty for you and does not put a stop to the deal.
Finally, I assure you that I will vote against the Mercosur Trade Agreement when MEPs finally get the chance to do so.
Why should the European Court of Justice not investigate the legality of Mercosur?
The legal issue comes down to the splitting of the agreement. This practice of splitting is not new and has been used several times before without any legal issues – most recently last year in an agreement with Chile.
In 2017, in the case of the EU-Singapore trade deal, the European Court clearly ruled that the Commission and the Parliament were acting fully within their legal rights to split such agreements.
That ruling established a clear precedent; the splitting of trade deals is a lawful procedure, and it is based on this that I made my decision.