IRISH FARMERS PROTEST AGAINST EU TRADE DEAL – The Irish government argued the deal lacks safeguards
Thousands of Irish farmers, many of whom travelled across the country on tractors, protested on Saturday (January 10) against the European Union’s Mercosur trade deal after a majority of EU states gave a provisional go-ahead for its largest ever free-trade accord.
Opponents led by France, the EU’s largest agricultural producer, failed to convince enough fellow member states on Friday (January 9) that the deal with South American nations would flood the market with cheap food products and undercut domestic farmers.
Under pressure from opposition parties, farming groups and members of its own coalition, the Irish government argued the deal lacks safeguards on what it says are weaker food safety standards in South America.
The demonstration, large by Irish standards, followed similar protests in Poland, France and Belgium on Friday.
While Ireland is a small exporting nation that aims to diversify away from its reliance on the U.S. market, it has large beef and dairy industries that are major employers.
