Mercosur: 'Hopeful of agreement in early January' - head of European Commisson in Ireland
The European Commission's decision to delay the signing of the Mercosur agreement is a "tragedy at one level" according to the head of the commission representation in Ireland.
Peter Power, who acts as the official representative of the commission in Ireland under the political authority of President Ursula von der Leyen, said that that Ireland "needs trade agreements".
Commenting on the delay to the Mersocur deal Power said the European Commission was "losing credibility on the world stage as a negotiator".
President von der Leyen confirmed late last night (Thursday, December 19) that the European Commission had "reached out to our Mercosur partners and agreed to postpone slightly the signature" on the trade deal.
She emphasised in a social media post "with additional checks and safeguards, we have built in all necessary protections for our farmers and our consumers".
But this was not the message conveyed by an estimated 10,000 farmers in the heart of Brussels yesterday to the European Commission.
According to Copa Cogeca farmers from across Europe had gathered in the city to protest about the challenges facing agriculture and also highlight their rejection of the Merscour trade deal.
But the head of the European Commission representation said the Irish economy is "based on open trade".
Peter Power believes the delay to the Mercosur deal is "a missed opportunity".
"But I'm hopeful that we will get an agreement in early January," he said.
President von der Leyen has maintained - despite France and Italy being vocal on their opposition to Mercosur - that it is "crucially important for Europe – economically, diplomatically, and geopolitically".
"It opens new trade and economic opportunities for all our member states.
"In a year dominated by news of rising tariffs and new trade restrictions, the positive impact of this pact matters – not just for our two regions, but for the global economy," she said.
