Aontú TD Deputy Paul Lawless has warned that recent events in Brussels expose the reality behind so-called EU “safeguards”, casting serious doubt on the protections being promised to Irish farmers under the proposed Mercosur trade deal.
Deputy Lawless stated “The blocking of the Hague Preferences, a safeguard that had existed for nearly fifty years to protect Ireland’s fishing communities, should serve as a clear warning about how reliable EU assurances truly are.”
“Only days ago, we saw a long-standing safeguard for Irish fishing quietly set aside when it became inconvenient. The Hague Preferences are in place to protect vulnerable coastal communities, yet when pressure came on, they were blocked and Ireland was left exposed. This experience must now be viewed alongside the Government’s repeated claims that Irish farmers will be protected by safeguards attached to the Mercosur agreement.”
The Deputy Continued “We are being told that Mercosur is different, that safeguards will kick in if Irish agriculture is threatened, but fishermen were told exactly the same thing and when the moment came, those safeguards were not worth the paper they were written on.”
“Mercosur will undoubtedly expose Irish farmers to imports produced to lower environmental, animal welfare and labour standards, while relying on enforcement mechanisms that may never be activated in practice. The reality is this, when EU political or commercial priorities clash with Irish livelihoods, Ireland is expected to absorb the damage. We have just seen that happen with fishing. There is no reason to believe farming will be treated any differently.”
The Deputy concluded ” the Government’s failure to veto or escalate the blocking of the Hague Preferences demonstrates how quickly national interests can be sidelined at EU level. If a safeguard with half a century of precedent can be brushed aside, what confidence can farmers have in last-minute clauses attached to a massive trade deal like Mercosur”
“Irish farmers and fishing communities are being asked to trust assurances that recent experience has shown to be unreliable. Safeguards only matter if a government is willing to defend them. What we are seeing instead is a pattern of retreat and that should concern every farming family in the country. I am calling on the Government to reconsider its support for the Mercosur agreement, to be honest with farmers about the risks involved, and to recognise that paper protections are no substitute for political resolution.”
