Mercosur deal 'must be stopped after Brazil antibiotics scandal' - ICSA
The president of the Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA), Sean McNamara, has accused the European Commission of "treating European consumers with contempt" by "trying to railroad the Mercosur deal through while turning a blind eye to the shocking, unregulated use of antibiotics in Brazil".
Representatives of the ICSA were in Brussels this week for meetings with local MEPs Barry Cowen, Ciaran Mullooly and Maria Walsh, among others. It said the meetings were arranged "to rally opposition to the Mercosur deal".
Mr McNamara, referring to the findings of an Irish Farmers Journal/IFA investigation published today, said it "blow apart any claim of equivalent standards and show that Europe will probably never be able to fully stand over the beef coming in from Brazil."
Continuing, Mr McNamara said, "What this investigation uncovered is nothing short of scandalous. They were able to walk into multiple agri-stores across Brazil and buy prescription-only antibiotics without a prescription, without a herd number, and without a single question asked.
"This is clear evidence of the illegal sale of antibiotics, and that tells you everything you need to know about the so-called standards we are expected to trust."
He said the European Commission seemed happy to ignore the fact that Brazil has no proper monitoring system, no usage database, and no mechanism to prevent antibiotic residues entering the food chain.
"This is the height of hypocrisy. Irish farmers are doing everything by the book and the rules are getting tighter by the year. We are held to the highest standards in the world, yet the Commission is prepared to reward countries that don’t even have the basics. It’s a disgrace.
"This leaves me and countless other farmers asking the questions. Why is the Commission willing to expose European consumers to beef that we cannot trace, cannot verify, and cannot guarantee is free from dangerous residues? Why are they doing this to their own people?"
Mr McNamara said the Irish Government must now "stop sitting on the fence" in relation to the Mercosur trade deal between the EU and South America.
"This investigation should be the spark that finally wakes our Government up. They need to stand up, call this out, and make it clear that Ireland will not accept beef coming from a system that would get you jail here. We shouldn’t be accepting this beef at all - let alone more of it."
He said, "The impact this will have on Irish and European beef farmers is well known. The climate consequences are well known. The health risks are undeniable. Yet the Commission is still ploughing ahead with this grubby deal as if none of it matters.
"It is outrageous that they continue to push on while ignoring blatant breaches of the very standards they insist upon at home. Europe cannot preach one thing and reward the opposite."