The European Commission (EC) has been criticised for pursuing a free trade deal with the Mercosur bloc in South America after corruption was uncovered in the Brazilian meat industry.
President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), Barclay Bell, said the revelations about fraud in the Brazilian meat industry were “damning”, and he called for the commission to take agriculture off the table in any negotiations on the trade deal.
This echoes the sentiment of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), which last week called for the removal of beef from any Mercosur deal in light of the US Department of Agriculture’s decision to ban fresh beef from Brazil.
Food, drink and tobacco make up about a quarter of exports from Mercosur to the EU, while meat and animal products account for 6%. By comparison, machinery is the EU’s main export industry to the South American region, accounting for around 29% of total shipments to the area.
Pointing to the US ban on Brazilian beef, Bell asked why the EC was not taking similar steps. He said: “If the US believes that is appropriate, the commission must explain why it is adopting a more forgiving stance towards the widespread flouting of global trading rules by Brazil.
He added: “It is wrong that the European Commission is pressing ahead with attempts to secure a free trade deal with the Mercosur countries of South America, when there is such a big question mark over the fitness of one of the key players to export food.
We know commission veterinary officials have visited Brazil, and the commission is suggesting the problems found can be resolved. We would like to see their report, so that we can decide whether this is an effective approach.
“If the commission will not make that report public, I would urge MEPs to press for its release.”
The EU already has bilateral partnership and cooperation agreements with each of the four members of the Mercosur area.