The Taoiseach has said it “wouldn’t be fair” to ratify the EU-Mercosur trade deal in its current form, as farmers in Ireland are due to show solidarity with EU-wide protests.
Convoys with hundreds of angry farmers driving tractors created chaos outside the European Union’s headquarters on Thursday, as they demanded leaders at a summit provide relief from rising prices and bureaucracy.
Farmers pelted police in Brussels with fireworks, eggs and beer bottles through thick smoke from burning bales of hay.
Security forces used water cannons to douse fires and keep a farmer from felling a tree on the steps of the European Parliament.
It is the culmination of weeks of protests around the bloc, with farmers saying it is becoming harder than ever to make a decent living as energy and fertiliser costs surge because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, more and cheaper farm imports make it hard to compete, and climate change-fuelled droughts, floods or fires destroy crops.
The president of the Irish Farmers’ Association said while Irish farmers are pro-EU, they will show their “frustration” with EU policies by expressing solidarity with their European counterparts on Thursday evening.
Francie Gorman added: “Farmers here have been watching the protests across Europe. They are just as frustrated by what is happening as farmers in other countries.
“They feel they are being regulated out of business by Brussels bureaucrats and Department of Agriculture officials who are far removed from the reality of day-to-day farming.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the protests were discussed by EU leaders at a memorial service on Wednesday night to remember former president of the European Commission Jacques Delors.
“The issue of farming and agriculture isn’t on the agenda for this meeting, but was discussed by leaders last night given the protests that are occurring,” the Taoiseach said on Thursday.
“I’d be among one of quite a number of heads of governments here who understand the pressures that our farmers are under.
“Whether its increased energy costs or fertiliser costs, new environmental regulations, it’s kind of been layer upon layer for farmers.
“Certainly, I think the priority for us should be implementing existing rules and regulations and not imposing new additional ones on farmers over the next couple of years.”
Farmers have also criticised the proposed trade agreement struck with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in 2019, which aims to streamline the multi-billion trading relationship between the EU and the Mercosur countries.
The trade deal, if it came into effect, would lift duties on products between the two regions, and could see cheaper beef, poultry and pork imported to the EU from South America.
The deal has been heavily criticised by environmental groups and beef farmers in Ireland, who believe it will allow beef produced in a less sustainable way into the EU market at the expense of Irish farmers.
Mr Varadkar said he agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on Mercosur, who said changes need to be made.
The French government aimed to disperse disruptive protests held by unhappy farmers during the week by promising emergency aid and controls on imported food.
Speaking from Brussels, Mr Varadkar said: “I also would echo President Macron’s comments in relation to Mercosur, that this trade agreement can’t be ratified in its current form.
“We can’t have a situation whereby we impose environmental regulations on farmers and then allow imports from countries that don’t have those same regulations, that wouldn’t be fair.
“I think it can’t be ratified in its current form so what we would need is legally binding and legally enforceable changes around the environment, and that would be crucial for us.”
Speaking at a press conference after the special European Council meeting, president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said other countries had urged the EU to “not talk at us, but talk with us, talk to us”.
She added: “I heard what the Taoiseach said and it’s something that we will continue to discuss with him, that we need to also bring this into how we are going to retain our competitiveness, how are we going to discuss with our sectors that feel that they will be directly hit by any deals with third countries or partnerships, but at the end of the day, trade remains one of our most important tools that we need to continue to work on.”
