The Green Party has called on the Irish Governmentto reject the EU Mercosur Trade Deal unless both the Amazon basin andIrish farmers are protected. 

Speaking today the Green Party MEP Ciaran Cuffesaid that the threat to Irish farmers and the ongoing fires in the Amazon Basincast serious doubts on the Deal.

Mr. Cuffe said:

"The Amazon is on fire. We must notadd fuel to the flames. A record number of fires havebeen recorded in Brazil's rainforest this year. This isdevastating habitats, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. We're seeing aclear link between deforestation and pressure to increase land availability forland for animal feed production, soy production, and biofuels? Theprospect of an EU Mercosur Trade Deal is clearly contributing to this.Meanwhile back in Ireland we're seeing low prices being paid to Irish farmers,and the risk of their produce being undercut by South Americanimports. 

"The draft deal says it will 'promote the effective implementation of several multilateral environmental agreements signed by the EU and Mercosur countries, such as the Paris Agreement, the CITES Convention on Wildlife Trade', but is silent on who will do the enforcing. Meanwhile, the President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro is blaming environmental organisations for the recent fires without offering a scintilla of evidence to support his claim. 

"Our Irish European Commissioner Phil Hogan must ensure that the European Union holds President Bolsanaro of Brasil to account on his misleading statements in recent days."

My colleague Grace O'Sullivan MEP sits on theEuropean Parliament Delegation for relations with Mercosur and are workingclosely together to hold the European Commission and the Irish Government toaccount on this proposed trade deal.

Here at home our Agriculture SpokespersonCouncillor Pippa Hackett is working closely with Irish farmers to ensuretheir interests are protected. “The EU-Mercusor Deal is supposed tocommit to developing a more sustainable approach to agriculture,including the ecological management and conservation of forests. It isalso committed to effectively implementing the Paris Agreement on ClimateChange. Clearly these issues are not being taken seriously by Brazil - thelargest country in the Mercosur trade bloc."

"The Green Party intends voting against thisdeal in the Dáil and in the European Parliament unless cast-iron guarantees canbe given that both the Amazon and Irish farmers willbe protected." 

ENDS

Issued 22nd August 2019, uploaded 23rd August 2019