Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
795. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which he justifies expecting Irish beef farmers to abide by high standards and regulations for the production of beef, when it is now envisaged that a certain amount of beef will now be for sale to Irish consumers as a result of the so-called Mercosur agreement which falls well below those standards. [3698/26]
View answerThe Government has been very clear about Ireland’s concerns in relation to the EU-Mercosur Agreement and has expressed these consistently over a number of years, including on food safety and environmental standards enforced by Mercosur countries.
I recognise that Irish and EU farmers are subject to complex regulations requiring them to farm in a sustainable manner, which is why it is important to ensure that farmers in Mercosur countries are subject to the same requirements.
It is important to note, in terms of food safety, and animal and plant health - or SPS - standards that the EU’s standards are among the highest in the world and the Commission has consistently stated that these were never up for negotiation.
The Government is very firmly of the view that EU SPS standards must continue to be rigorously upheld for the benefit of European consumers. Indeed, the Commission has recently announced additional SPS checks and control measures, including a 50% increase in the number of audits carried out in non-EU countries over the next two years, a 33% increase in audits of EU Border Control Posts and closer monitoring of non-compliant commodities and countries.
The Commission has also committed to rolling out initiatives to better align the production standards of imported products with EU standards. We will continue to assess the detail of these proposals, and to engage intensively on their progression.
