Irish MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness is representing the European Parliament at the parliamentary assembly on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Argentina, which began on 10 December.

Speaking in Buenos Aires, Ms McGuinness expressed the belief that the host country was pushing for progress on Mercosur negotiations and would like to announce that a deal has been made when the ministerial council concludes on Wednesday night.

As previously reported in the Irish Farmers Journal, the proposed EU deal with the Mercosur trading bloc in Latin America could jeopardise the EU beef industry.

Rushing towards a deal for the sake of a deadline is not appropriate

Currently, the EU has offered the trading bloc up to 70,000t of beef access to Europe, an offer which has been widely condemned by politicians in Ireland and France, as well as farm organisations.

“The pressure to conclude the talks cannot be at the expense of the European agriculture sector – a win for Mercosur in agriculture is a loss for EU farmers,” Ms McGuinness warned.

“Beef is a major issue for Ireland, with concerns that concessions already on the table on beef would negatively impact the EU beef market and in turn prices to producers.

“Today in Buenos Aires I met with a representative of the French farming sector who articulated very clearly how a deal with Mercosur would not be in the interests of EU farmers and the rural regions.

“Rushing towards a deal for the sake of a deadline is not appropriate and will be counter-productive,” she concluded.