December 21, 2006

EU-South America trade deal attacked

A bilateral EU-South America trade deal would cause severe damage to the Irish beef industry and other agricultural sectors, according to the leader of the Irish beef producers Padraig Walshe.

Walshe, the president of the Irish Farmers' Association, said this while responding to an economic impact assessment report of a Mercosur-proposed trade deal with the EU.

The report was prepared by Manchester University on behalf of Commissioner Peter Mandelson's Trade Directorate in the EU Commission.

It was obvious that Commissioner Mandelson was strongly in favour of a a bilateral EU-Mercosur trade deal in view of the impasse in the WTO negotiations, he said.

It reflected the 'softening up' process by the commission, with the object of playing down the negative impact on European producers of major agricultural import concessions to the South American countries, he added.

He said it was unacceptable for the EU Commission to be pursuing a bilateral Mercosur trade deal when the countries involved, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Argentina were incapable of meeting the same high traceability, animal health, welfare and environmental standards as were required of Irish and European producers.