Europe "must not implement Mercosur deal while court is deliberating" - Mullooly

Midlands North West MEP Ciaran Mullooly said he is writing to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to "demand that the EU-Mercosur trade deal is not provisionally implemented while the European Court of Justice is examining its legality".

In Dublin yesterday, EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen left the door open to implementing the controversial Mercosur deal on a provisional basis while the European Court of Justice decides on it.

Last month, the European parliament voted to refer the multibillion-euro trade accord, between the EU and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries, to the European court.

Mr Mullooly, who said in a statement this morning (Wednesday) that his letter to Ursula von der Leyen had already attracted multiple MEP co-signatures, argued that pressing ahead with Mercosur before the Court delivers its ruling would represent "a serious breach" of democratic trust.

"Ireland opposed the Mercosur trade agreement on the January 9, by doing this they also formally opposed the provisional application of the agreement in advance of the European parliament vote," he said.

"Irish farmers and citizens deserve legal certainty. It would be unacceptable for the commission to push this deal into effect while the legality of the agreement is actively before the EU’s highest court."

The EU-Mercosur agreement would create one of the largest free trade zones in the world, but it has sparked concern in Ireland in relation to its potential impact on the beef sector and food safety standards.

Mr Mullooly said the issue now transcends political debate about trade.

"This is about the rule of law. The European parliament has exercised its treaty right to seek clarification from the court. To provisionally apply the agreement in the meantime would undermine parliament, national parliaments, and the institutional balance laid down in the treaties."

In his letter to Ms von der Leyen, Mr Mullooly also points to assurances previously given by Commissioners that the trade agreement would not be provisionally applied before parliament had granted consent.

The local MEP said the process of obtaining the European court's opinion on Mercosur was expected to take between 12 and 18 months.