Farmers stage mass protest in Midlands over EU Mercosur trade deal

IFA president Francie Gorman talking to farmers at the the Irish Farm Centre in Bluebell during a protest in December. The IFA chief said yesterday that Irish MEPs should lobby against the deal in the European Parliament. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

Thousands of farmers from all over Ireland will converge on the Midlands today, Saturday, for a mass protest over the EU's approval of the controversial Mercosur trade deal.

Gardaí have already warned the public to be braced for potential traffic chaos as farmers drive tractors across the country to the rally at TUS Athlone. 

As well as a march by participants, the tractors will form convoys that will snarl up the local roads.

The protestors are determined to continue fighting against a deal that will see an influx of South American beef into the EU, including to Irish shelves.

Irish Farmers Association president Francie Gorman said countries including Ireland representing a sizeable proportion of the EU population — 31.3% — had not backed the deal in the ambassadors’ vote. He pointed out that the deal still requires approval by the European Parliament, and said Irish farmers will renew their focus with their colleagues across the continent on securing a majority against the deal in the parliament.

“The Irish Government was not alone in expressing deep reservations about the deal and what it means for farmers and public health,” Mr Gorman said.

“The commission cannot ignore the scale of the opposition to the deal.

"Our MEPs now have a crucial role to play in building alliances within their groupings and amongst colleagues from other countries to build opposition to the deal."

Tánaiste Simon Harris also said the EU “can’t take for granted” that the deal will go ahead.

Simon Harris says deal is not done yet

“No officials, at any level, including the European Commission, should ever take for granted the decisions that the democratically-elected representatives right across the European Union may decide to make in the European Parliament,” said Mr Harris.

He said the Government had not ruled out supporting the deal if “changes and improvements” are made around food safety and “parity” with environmental standards.

Mr Harris said Ireland “benefits from free trade” but “it has to be free trade that doesn’t expect our farmers or our consumers to adopt a different set of standards”.

If it were to be rubberstamped by the parliament, the deal would boost EU exports to Mercosur countries — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. However, farmers and others argue it will distort agricultural markets if EU farmers are forced to compete with lower-cost South American beef.

When the result of the vote was confirmed it was met with protests in a number of parts of Europe including France and Poland.

Two Irish MEPs backed Mercosur deal

Two Irish MEPs have publicly backed the deal — Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews and Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty.

Both have said they would be supporting the trade agreement when it comes before the European Parliament.

“I’ve been very supportive of this deal up until now. I can’t see anything that will change for me between now and when the vote does come to the parliament,” Ms Doherty told RTÉ’s Drivetime.

Mr Andrews argued that the debate on Mercosur lacked balance, saying groups like the pharmaceutical and drinks industries have remained silent on its benefits.

Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion described the European Council’s decision to back the deal as being “bad for Irish farmers, the environment, and public health”.

Ms Funchion said it would force Irish farmers into “unfair competition” with Mercosur ranchers, who “produce under far less strict regulation”.