Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly has voiced strong opposition to the Mercosur trade agreement going ahead, saying that Ireland has a proud agricultural tradition and that we “cannot turn out backs on food quality and safety.”
The agreement, which has caused outrage among farmers at home and elsewhere in Europe, would permit the European Union to temporarily raise import duties if cheap South American beef floods the market, is part of a new concession to convince Ireland and other EU countries to back the agreement. While the trade deal was agreed in December, it was formally approved by the EU Commission on Wednesday, paving a way for the agreement to be ratified by the European Parliament and EU countries.
The Mercosur deal between the EU and the Mercosur countries – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay aims to create a free trade area between the two blocs with tariffs gradually disappearing on most products, with the exception of some agri-products subject to quotas.
European Commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen has said that the agreement would save EU firms around €4bn in export duties annually.
Earlier this year, there were suggestions that the commission would set up a “safety net” fund worth €1 billion to support European farmers if they take a financial hit because of the agreement, Mr Mullolly said that this will “no longer be the case.”
He said in a statement that proposed benefits to the dairy and drinks sector are “highly dubious and wishful thinking.”
The MEP said: “A recent global price comparison of cheese shows Ireland at around $11.31 per kilo, while Brazil stands at just $8.73 and Paraguay at only $6.73 – 40% cheaper than Ireland (Numbeo, Aug 2025). With Mercosur dairy already this low-priced, and transport and logistics costs on top, there is simply no real market opportunity for Irish dairy exports.”
He said that the deal posed a negative impact for both Irish and European agriculture, adding that he is continuing to work on the expansion of a coalition of farming organisations with “like-minded MEPs across member states in opposition to the deal.”
“We have seen trade deals already made a mockery of this year with egregious breaches of human rights clauses as in the case of the EU Israel trade deal, so why should we expect there to be any real meaning behind similar clauses in this Mercosur trade deal? We cannot have any real faith in safety or human rights clauses anymore,” Mulloly said.
Calling on Tánaiste Simon Harris to take a “clear stand” with a meeting of the Council of Ministers for Trade set to take place, Mr Mulloly said it was the case that the deal has “not been changed, and will not be negotiated.”
“The decision is now final. Under Qualified Majority Voting, 65% of votes are required for the deal to go ahead – meaning every country’s position counts. Mr Mullooly stated: “The Tánaiste must now make his choice: will he back Irish and European farmers by rejecting this deeply damaging agreement, as he himself has said many times during the debate or will he turn his back on them? The time for indecision is over,” he said.
The EU farming lobby remains in vocal opposition to the deal, with farmers set to protest outside EU institutions today.
‘GOVT MUST GROW A SPINE’
It comes as Independent TD Carol Nolan said on Thursday that the Mercosur deal “may as well be the EU’s compulsory purchase order for Irish farms.”
Deputy Nolan criticised proposals by the European Commission to sign-off on the deal, saying that there is growing backlash from rural TDs who argue that Mercosur will completely undermine the capacity of the Irish beef sector to survive.
“Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and anyone else who backs this anti-democratic and ruthless deal better be prepared to explain to local farmers and producers why their interests should be so completely subordinated to EU interests and the interests of the German automobile industry in particular,” Deputy Nolan said.
“This entire process has been a bureaucratic and institutional stampede by the EU Commission. It has effectively walked all over this Government and indeed the previous Government, often with the help of ministers who did more to enable this destructive outcome than resist it.”
She added that it was for “all intents and purposes, the EU’s way of saying that they are effectively going to CPO core strands of our agri-sectors and leave them to rot because that is what serves the Commission’s interests.”
“As for the so-called ‘emergency-brake’ that will be pulled if the Irish market is overwhelmed; that has to be one of the most egregious examples of an EU Commission taking Irish farmers for absolute fools,” the Offaly TD said.
“The government must grow a spine on this issue and for once actually push back against measures that will utterly destabilise Irish agriculture. This must be the line in the sand for the Irish Government with respect to the EU and its disregard for Irish farmers and producers.”