Thousands of Irish farmers have taken to the streets to protest against a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur, a day after a majority of EU member states gave provisional approval to the long-negotiated accord.
In the central town of Athlone, tractors streamed onto roads on Saturday as farmers from across Ireland gathered to demonstrate against the deal, holding placards reading “Stop EU-Mercosur” and shouting slogans accusing European leaders of sacrificing their interests.
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The protests came after Ireland, France, Poland, Hungary and Austria voted against the agreement on Friday but failed to block it.
The deal, more than 25 years in the making, would create one of the world’s largest free-trade areas, boosting commerce between the 27-nation EU and Mercosur countries Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Under the agreement, Mercosur would export agricultural products and minerals to Europe, while the EU would export machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals under reduced tariffs.
While the deal has been welcomed by business groups, it has been met with strong pushback from European farmers, who fear their livelihoods will be undercut by cheaper imports from South America, particularly agricultural powerhouse Brazil.
Irish farmers have been especially vocal in their opposition, warning that the deal could allow an additional 99,000 tonnes of low-cost beef to enter the EU market, disrupting Ireland’s farming sector.
Beef and dairy are major employers in Ireland, and many farmers say they already struggle to make a sustainable income.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), the country’s main farming lobby group, described the EU states’ decision this week as “very disappointing”.
The group said it would renew its efforts to stop the deal in the European Parliament, which must still approve the accord before it can take effect.
“We expect Irish MEPs to stand behind the farming community and reject the Mercosur deal,” IFA President Francie Gorman said in a statement.
‘Severe implications’
At Saturday’s protest in Athlone, farmers voiced anger and anxiety about the future of rural Ireland.
Joe Keogh, a farmer from the nearby village of Multyfarnham, told the Reuters news agency that the agreement would devastate farming communities.
“It’s an absolute disgrace on behalf of the farmers and people that have put Europe where it is today,” he said. “It’s going to close down the whole countryside.”
Others raised concerns about food quality and production standards.
Earlier in the week, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he was worried that beef imported under the Mercosur deal might not be produced to the EU’s strict environmental standards.
“We have to be confident” that rules and obligations imposed on Irish farmers would not be undermined by imports produced under less stringent regulations, he said.
Protesters echoed those concerns. Placards on Saturday read, “Our cows follow the rules, why don’t theirs?” and “Don’t sacrifice family farms for German cars,” reflecting fears that agriculture is being traded off to benefit other European industries.
The demonstration followed similar protests in Poland, France and Belgium on Friday, underscoring widespread unease among farmers across Europe.
Although opponents have secured some concessions and compensation measures for EU farmers, Ireland and France have pledged to continue fighting the deal as it moves to a potentially tight and unpredictable vote in the European Parliament.
For many farmers on the streets of Athlone, the issue goes beyond trade.
“It’s about the quality of the food we are eating,” Niamh O’Brien, a farmer who travelled from Athenry in western Ireland, told Reuters. “It has severe implications for both the farmer and the consumer.”