The Mercosur deal threatens the future of Irish agriculture and Irish farm families and it harms rural communities. The European Commission concluded negotiations with the four Mercosur countries in December 2024. The deal was to be subject to the approval of national parliaments and unanimity at EU level but, in a political stroke in September 2025, the deal was split into two separate sections, meaning that national parliaments would have no say in the ratification of the deal and only a qualified majority would be required at EU level. The importation of 99,000 tonnes of beef and 180,000 tonnes of poultry into the EU will have serious detrimental effects on Irish agriculture, and these figures are only the thin end of the wedge. This raises the appalling vista of the devastation of the Irish fishing industry. Are we seeing here the real start of the devastation of Irish agriculture? Imported agricultural products from the Mercosur countries are often produced using chemicals that have been banned in the EU. An EU audit in 2024 found that Brazil cannot reliably trace or guarantee hormone-free beef, yet the agreement will allow exporters to self-certify compliance with EU regulations. The deal effectively trades off the future of Irish agriculture and rural communities for the benefits of the export of cars, machinery, chemicals and steel to the Mercosur countries by the big European powers and economies. This is further confirmation of the erosion of Irish sovereignty. Ursula von der Leyen’s attempt to travel to South America to sign off on this deal is an insult to the elected Members of the European Parliament and seriously undermines democracy. Trust in European institutions has been seriously damaged not only by the handling of this Mercosur deal but also by the EU’s ability to manage trade partnerships arising from the genocide in Gaza. Proposed safeguards included in this deal to suspend trade cannot be taken seriously when the EU did not suspend trade with Israel despite the genocide in Gaza. Irish MEPs must be mandated to oppose this deal.

Sentiment score: -0.11