A Commission source said that the proposed tariff-rate quota for 78,000t of beef would be removed from the draft offer expected to be sent to Mercosur next week as trade negotiations open with the bloc of South American countries.

The college of European commissioners met on Wednesday and the source said that the decision was made after 14 EU member states expressed concern at the proposal.

Sensitivity of beef

The current situation of agricultural markets and the sensitivity of the beef industry are understood to be the key factors in the Commission’s decision to leave beef out of the initial phase of talks.

Farm organisations have lobbied hard against the prospect of large-scale cheap beef imports from South America, where production standards are reported to be less strict than in Europe.

On Wednesday, IFA president Joe Healy called for the unconditional removal of beef from the proposed trade deal, saying: “Any negotiating strategy based on concessions on sensitive products, including beef, and sacrificing European farmers in the process, is totally flawed.”

The ICSA also voiced its opposition and held a protest outside the Commission’s Dublin office on Wednesday, chanting: “Slam the door on Mercosur.”

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