Ireland’s agriculture sector must not be sacrificed to boost Europe’s car manufacturing industry in the context of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen has said.

MEP Cowen made the comments during a crucial debate on the Mercosur Trade Deal on Tuesday morning.

"The Mercosur deal must not leave Irish farmers at a disadvantage. It is crucial that any agreement prioritises the interests of Irish agriculture and ensures it does not face even greater competition from countries with lower environmental and production standards," he said.

The Mercosur deal - which involves the South American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay - has raised significant concerns among farmers across Europe, including in Ireland.

A key element of the deal includes the provision for an additional 99,000 tonnes of tariff-free beef imports to the European Union.

Beef imports

“These 99,000 tonnes of tariff-free beef imports from Mercosur would arrive on top of 200,000 tonnes already being imported, it’s important to point out,” Cowen said.

The Midlands North-West MEP recently co-signed a letter with fellow MEPs calling on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to refrain from splitting the trade aspect of the Mercosur deal from the rest of the agreement.

He warned that any attempt by the European Commission to bypass national parliaments by separating the deal’s trade elements would be an affront to democratic accountability and must be firmly opposed.

"Any attempt to split the trade aspect of this deal to circumvent national scrutiny in countries where strong opposition exists, including Ireland, would be unacceptable. The democratic process is non-negotiable," Cowen added.

Negotiator leaks

“In addition to co-signing the recent letter, I have been lobbying Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue intensely on the issue.”

The leaks, he added, from negotiators need to stop and finalised details of the deal need to be made available to key committees immediately.