Chambers Ireland calls ‘on all Irish MEP’s to back the Mercosur agreement’

THE controversial EU-Mercosur trade agreement needs to be rolled out to “keep the European economy moving forward”, according to Chambers Ireland.

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland and the International Chamber of Commerce Ireland, said: “We are calling on all Irish MEPs to back the Mercosur agreement and keep the European economy moving forward.”

“This agreement has been over 25 years in the making and we simply cannot afford another two years of delay.”

A letter written by Chambers Ireland and ICC Ireland to Irish MEP’s warns that a cross-party resolution expected at the November plenary (24th –27th) seeks to refer the agreement to the Court of Justice, which would stall progress for years.

Talbot added: “Our strength lies in being a small, open economy and we must uphold those principles.

“We particularly cannot turn our back on an agreement that opens new markets at a time when our competitiveness is under strain.

The agreement between the Mercosur countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay – and the EU aims to establish a transatlantic free trade zone.

The deal was agreed in December 2024 after 25 years of discussion; its supporters, led by Germany and Spain, hoped that it would offer the EU access to major strategic markets.

However, EU farmers and climate activists oppose the deal, claiming it will open the door to unfair competition from Mercosur countries and jeopardise landmark EU legislation on the Green Deal.

The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said an investigation carried out by the Irish Farmers Journal (IFJ) in Brazil undermines arguments by the European Commission that the EU-Mercosur trade deal should be approved.

In September, IFA President Francie Gorman said trust in how decisions are reached at EU level will be “undermined” if a deal like this is pushed through. The IFJ investigation claims to have been able to buy animal antibiotics in Brazil without prescriptions, and hormones which are banned in the EU.

A number of EU member states, notably Ireland and France, are opposed to its ratification, citing the potential to massively distort key agricultural markets.