The trade elements of the EU-Mercosur Agreement are set to take effect from tomorrow, Friday May 1st, without approval from the European Parliament, Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh has said.
The accelerated application of the Mercosur agreement follows a referral to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) earlier this year – a move which, MEP Walsh warned at the time, risked fast-tracking the deal rather than halting it.
In January, nine Irish MEPs voted to refer the EU–Mercosur trade agreement to the ECJ. MEP Walsh cautioned that such a step would not stop the deal, but instead could trigger its provisional implementation, bypassing the normal parliamentary ratification process and increasing uncertainty for Irish farmers.
MEP Maria Walsh, a full member of the Agriculture Committee, said:
“The trade elements of the Mercosur deal are set to apply for Irish farmers from tomorrow – without a full vote on the deal in the European Parliament. This outcome is due in no small part to the decision by some MEPs to refer it to the European Court of Justice earlier this year.
“While I strongly oppose the Commission’s decision to provisionally implement the deal, it comes as no surprise. I warned my fellow MEPs that referring Mercosur to the ECJ would not block the deal – it would only change the route by which it comes into force.
“Many MEPs will now express anger at the implementation of Mercosur. However, these same voices must reflect on the consequences of their actions, and the decisions that led us to this point. The referral has not delayed the deal – it has accelerated it. And in doing so, it has increased uncertainty for Irish farmers and the wider agri-food sector.”