‘We know this is a bad deal for farmers’: Kilkenny MEP calls for Mercosur referral to EU Court

Sinn Féin MEPs Kathleen Funchion and Lynn Boylan have called on all Irish MEPs to support a resolution due to come before the European Parliament next week, referring the Mercosur trade deal to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

The resolution was an initiative of the Left Group and is now supported by 145 MEPs from across the Parliament.

The resolution will be voted on in next week’s plenary session in Strasbourg, provided that Mercosur is formally referred to the European Parliament by the Council of the European Union on Monday.

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Speaking about the situation, Callan native MEP Funchion said: “The progression of the Mercosur deal thus far has been completely unprecedented and undermines European Democracy”.

“The EU Commission’s tactics of creating novel loopholes, such as splitting the deal, remove the national veto that protects producers and national interests. Furthermore, obligations arising from the deal could serve to limit European lawmaking as rebalancing legislation could mean the EU is liable to Mercosur countries, should regulation in Europe change”.

“We know this deal is bad for farmers, public health and the environment, but it also undermines the democratic processes in the EU and could set a dangerous precedent of the EU Commission overreaching and pushing through policy against the normal order and procedure”, she concluded.

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