'Death nail for agriculture in the West, Nort-West'- says Sligo/Leitrim Minister

Sligo/Leitrim Minister,  Marian Harkin has expressed her satisfaction with the opposition by the Irish Government to the Mercosur agreement, describing it as a key commitment secured during negotiations on the Programme for Government. “During the Programme for Government negotiations, I as one of the three negotiators for the Independent group, sought and secured firm assurances that Ireland would work with like-minded EU Member States to oppose any EU–Mercosur trade agreement that undermines Irish agriculture, in particular beef production, EU food safety and environmental standards,” Minister Harkin said. “There has been extensive work across Government and at EU level to build support for this position and to ensure Ireland’s concerns were clearly understood,” she said. “Today’s announcement reflects that collective effort and a clear recognition that the Mercosur deal, as currently framed, is unacceptable.”

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Minister Harkin said opposition to the agreement is essential to protect sustainable Irish agriculture and rural livelihoods, while ensuring fair competition. “Irish farmers are required to meet the highest standards in the world. It is neither fair nor sustainable to allow imports produced to lower standards to undermine those standards,” she said. “This decision is necessary to protect rural communities and public confidence in food safety. I have opposed the Mercosur agreement since my election to the European Parliament since 2004 because it has the potential to undermine the viability of the suckler herd in Ireland.

“If this were to happen it would be the death nail for agriculture in the West, Nort-West, parts of the Midlands and Southwest. We cannot allow this to happen and in spite of all the naysayers, in spite of all those who tried to persuade farmers in particular that this Government would not stand by them, we have clearly and unambiguously shown that we will keep our promises and work to protect our extremely important indigenous industry, Agriculture," Marian Harkin concluded.

Mercosur agreement could "undermine the viability of the suckler herd in Ireland"