IFA accuses EU of double standards and hypocrisy

The European Commission has been accused of hypocrisy and double standards in pursuit of a trade deal with the South American group of Mercosur countries — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

IFA members levelled the charge at a protest at the commission’s office in Dublin as speculation intensified a deal is imminent. IFA’s Joe Healy said it would be reckless of the commission to agree to a deal which would see thousands of tons of substandard beef from Brazil and other South American countries enter the EU. He accused seven EU leaders including Germany’s Angela Merkel and the Netherlands Mark Rutte of making a mockery of EU farmers and their world class standards in a letter to commission president Jean-Claude Juncker backing a deal.