How did each MEP for Leitrim vote in the crucial Mercosur vote

Irish farmers will rejoice today as the Mercosur trade deal was sent for judicial review that could delay it for up to two years, following an important vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday.

Margins were predicted to be razor-thin in this vote, and so it was, with only ten votes making the difference in what was a significant blow to proponents of the deal, which will have to go for legal review, which could take between 18 and 24 months.

According to Howdidtheyvote.ie, out of 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), 334 (50 %) voted for the review, 324 (48 %)voted against it, while 11 (2 %) abstained. In total, 669 MEPs voted, and 50 MEPs didn’t vote at all.

The five MEPs from Ireland’s North-West-Midlands constituency, representing Leitrim, voted: Maria Walsh (Against), Luke Ming Flannagan (Absent), Ciaran Mullooly (For), Nina Carbury (For), and Barry Cowen (For).

“Our farmers deserve a level playing field - and with this agreement, that simply does not exist,” said Nina Carbury MEP following the vote.

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Meanwhile, Maria Walsh warns that the vote is not the victory that it seems. 

“I voted against referring the Mercosur trade deal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). While this was not an easy decision, I firmly believe it was the responsible one,” said Walsh

 “I do not support the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. But what I do want is for MEPs to finally have their say on Mercosur and reject the deal - and referring it to the ECJ delays that final decision by up to two years.

“What’s not being said by those who trumpet this as a victory is that this delay creates more uncertainty for Irish farmers. We now have two more years of limbo for Irish farmers, with Mercosur continuing to hang over their heads.”

“It also opens the door to a scenario where the Commission could implement the trade elements of Mercosur before elected MEPs have had the opportunity to vote on it. If the agreement is provisionally implemented, the safeguards which we worked hard to introduce might not even apply,” says Walsh, who sits on the EU's rural development committee

“By simply sending the Mercosur agreement to the ECJ, we are not effectively stopping it. We are kicking the can down the road.“

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Luke Ming Flanagan told the Observer he was not able to attend the vote in Brussels on medical advice following a minor surgery, though he welcomed the result and praised MEP who voted in fovour of the resolution.

Out of Ireland’s 14 MEPs, nine voted for the resolution, four voted against it, while one was absent.