“No to EU-Mercosur” and “Let's support Irish agriculture” are slogans placed on banners attached to numerous tractors that gathered in Athlone. In the afternoon, a rally will be held at the local branch of the TUS University of Technology.
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Ireland is one of five EU member states – along with Poland, France, Austria and Hungary – that voted against the agreement. Last Friday, the agreement was approved by EU countries. However, the proposed agreement still needs to be approved by the European Parliament.
Irish cattle farmers fear the deal will threaten their beef exports to Europe by opening the market to cheaper beef from Brazil.
See also: That's why farmers fear Mercosur. But are they right?
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) said the EU's approval of the deal was “very disappointing” and called on MEPs to oppose it. However, it welcomed the Irish government's decision to vote against the agreement, emphasizing that the proposed safeguards in the document do not guarantee that Brazilian beef will meet EU standards.
Farmers' protests in Ireland
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GARETH CHANEY / East News
“Our MEPs now have a key role to play in building alliances within their parliamentary groups and among colleagues in other countries to build opposition to the deal.” said IFA president Francie Gorman.
Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Simon Harris, announced that the government would continue to raise its concerns and emphasized that the European Commission should not take MEPs' consent for granted.
See also: The Mercosur countries do not hide their joy. Entries poured in. “We all win”
