Yesterday, Wednesday 10th September 2025 in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, our MEPs had the opportunity to protect farm livelihoods and food safety by supporting a proposed amendment which read:
“Regrets, in this regard, that the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, in its final version, will undermine the competitiveness and sustainability of EU agriculture by allowing imports of agri food products produced under lower environmental, social and animal welfare standards than those required in the EU; stresses that such an agreement will increase unfair competition for EU farmers, especially in sensitive sectors such as beef, poultry and sugar; calls on the Commission to block the ratification of the EU-Mercosur agreement until binding and enforceable sustainability guarantees are included, ensuring full reciprocity of standards and effective safeguard mechanisms to protect the EU’s internal market and agricultural producers.”
Food safety and environmental standards are not currently protected by the proposed Mercosur free trade agreement and this amendment would have addressed this huge gap which threatens farm and food safety and security. Over 600 MEPs voted on the amendment. 213 votes supported the amendment, 366 votes were against the amendment and 57 abstained.
Of the 14 Irish MEPs, 4 supported the amendment, 5 voted against it and 3 abstained. Hard questions must be asked and answered as to the arguments made against having enforceable food safety standards included in the Mercosur deal and why so many of our MEPs are willing to throw the Irish beef industry under the bus.
The Beef Plan Movement is contacting our MEPs and their Parties and will update with more information on who voted for what and why.