‘So much for sustainability’ ICMSA tells Brussels on Mercosur deal

The push for a free trade deal with Mercosur despite the differences in farm production standards leaves the European Commission’s position on sustainability looking like an “absolutely ridiculous” contradiction, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) president Denis Drennan has said.

Drennan was heavily critical of European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic after meeting with him in Dublin on Thursday.

“The plain fact here is that the Mercosur imports will undercut Irish beef in our export markets by being cheaper through their non-observation of production standards and environmental measures,” the ICMSA leader commented.

“The European Commission knows this and is, apparently, absolutely fine with it. So much for sustainability.”

Response

Drennan claimed that he had made these points of view known to Commissioner Sefcovic during Thursday’s meeting, but would not “give any credence” to the response he received.

“We are still in the same position where the EU wants to endorse Mercusor, downplay its impact, exaggerate its benefits, allow more beef imports and suggest additional safeguarding measures that they know - and we certainly do - will not work,” Drennan said.

The ICMSA has called for EU member states to decide whether to continue with their approach of adding regulations to farming and prevent sub-EU standard produce entering the market or to stop loading environmental rules on to EU farmers leaving them uncompetitive.

“It’s just this simple; there cannot be one rule for the EU’s own farmers and then none for those allowed – even encouraged – to export food to the EU,” Drennan continued.

“Either we all have the same standards and environmental restrictions or we all go to the lower, much lower, threshold of the Mercosur states.

“But we can’t have these two contradictory stances by the Commission.

“It’s not possible to reconcile these and therefore [the] ICMSA thinks that Ireland and other food-producing states must continue to signal outright opposition to any endorsement of Mercosur.”