IFA protest backed by 490m
IFA were on the button with their 24-hour protest at the European Commission offices in Dublin against free trade talks which could open the EU market to beef imports from South America.
Even as IFA’s 40 farmers staged their overnight sit-in, they were backed by more than 490 million EU citizens, speaking through their elected representatives in the European Parliament.
The 736 MEPs from the full spectrum of EU countries called a halt to the Commission’s solo run in negotiations that could backfire badly on EU citizens.
IFA is not always so well attuned to public opinion.
They spoiled their recent welcome for the programme for government by expressing concern at the proposal to move responsibility for agri-payments to a new one-stop-shop.
The existing service is efficient and compares favourably with systems in other EU countries, said IFA president John Bryan — which came as a surprise following non-stop IFA statements and even public protests over late payments.
However, well done in the same week to Mr Bryan and the 40 farmers who protested at the Commission offices.
Surely they are on the side of the winners after the Parliament made it clear they will not give their blessing to any trade deal which they feel disadvantages EU citizens.
MEPs consider that in general decisions to further open up EU market to imports of agricultural goods should not be taken without ensuring that EU farmers can be compensated for their losses. They stress that external trade policy must not jeopardise the EU’s ability to maintain a strong agricultural sector and to ensure food security against a background of increased market volatility.
They condemned the Commission’s trade negotiators for making concessions on agriculture in order to obtain enhanced market access in third countries for industrial products and services.
They criticised the Commission for resuming negotiations with the Mercosur countries in south America without consulting with the EU Council, and revealed that the Commission never informed MEPs about their talks on free trade agreements with Canada and Ukraine which have been under way since October 2009.
MEPs said the Commission should conduct and update a series of impact assessments and make them public during negotiations. They may even call for an halt to Mercosur discussions — due to resume this week — until the impact on the EU agricultural sector is assessed.
It’s good to see one of the most powerful decision makers in the EU taking on the Commission, which had accused farmers of exaggerating the impact on the European beef industry of a trade agreement with Mercosur.
Commission trade spokesperson John Clancy admitted that some environmental and animal welfare standards in the EU are higher than those of Mercosur, but said “we should increase the information about those differences to the consumers”, instead of banning imports.
The Parliament’s intervention will make him and other unelected bureaucrats think twice before playing fast and loose with the EU’s citizens in trade negotiations. And it brings the promise of a commonsense approach on behalf of citizens by the Parliament which the Commission and ministers and heads of states will have to factor into their horse-trading over the CAP reform which starts in earnest this week in Strasbourg — now that the Lisbon Treaty has given the MEPs co-decision powers along with the EU Council.
