IN a boost for beef farmers, the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has indicated that he will not be bringing the Mercosur trade agreement for ratification to the Dáil this year or for the foreseeable future. “These guarantees would be enforceable as part of any final Mercosur agreement. “It would be wrong to ask Irish farmers to embrace stringent measures on the one hand, while significant damage continues to be inflicted on the Amazon rainforest. Brazil's government said it disagrees with the claims that a EU-Mercosur trade deal would increase destruction in the Amazon rainforest and criticised French concerns about an agreement as "protectionist." ICMSA President Pat McCormack recently described the Mercosur trade deal as 'fatally flawed'.

Source: Irish Independent September 29, 2020 05:03 UTC