Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The objective of EU countries, including Ireland, to net zero carbon by 2050 is noble and necessary. In that context I very much welcome the Government's climate action plan. It is a very important and serious document. I have heard the Minister at conferences and elsewhere and he is the first to say that this will not be easy because we are talking about a complete overhaul of our lifestyles and how we are used to living with our modern conveniences and things we take for granted, all of which is at a cost. It is important that we continue to discuss what is a just transition and where the cost will be borne. Many times, people put their money where their mouth is. We must protect vulnerable people who cannot afford it.

In this context, I am concerned about the EU Mercosur trade deal announced last Friday. I am concerned that it will undermine what we are trying to do at a macro level and what we are trying to become leaders on and implement. I am concerned that our beef farmers are not being treated fairly under this deal. It is clear that the beef coming from South America is cheaper. Our farmers are under such pressure now, often having to sell cattle at a lower than cost price and there are fears of worse to come after Brexit.

Our beef farmers have been highly regulated for years, pursuant to the Common Agricultural Policy, and our domestic implementation of the CAP allows us to stand over the claim that our beef is of the best quality and traceability on the world stage. We are also high up in the international league tables for carbon efficiency, at fifth place, and are constantly striving to improve our ranking. It has to be acknowledged that the will and desire to improve is there. This is all at a cost, and makes our beef more expensive than South American countries, for instance, which do not adhere to these standards. It is difficult to secure data on the carbon footprint of South American beef. The data available show the rate of deforestation is linked to an increase in agriculture. It has been shown that beef purchased in Europe and south-east Asia from South American countries comes from areas where the tropical rainforests have been felled.

Last Monday we saw the surge in the price of shares of Brazilian meat packers since the announcement of the trade deal. That gives an idea of what is intended for the beef industry there and that it is set for expansion on foot of the deal. We only have to look at the track record of President Bolsonaro, a climate change denier, to see that issues such as climate breakdown and rights for citizens, including workers, are low on his list of priorities. Often developing countries in South America are concerned with more immediate issues and find it difficult to achieve forward planning and change systems to accommodate carbon emissions reductions. There is a compelling argument that climate and environment effects as well as the economic impact of the EU Mercosur deal need to be scrutinised, and I am calling for that today. Otherwise we will be operating in a parallel universe when it comes to trade deals where we must climate-proof our policies and actions in everything else. The EU claims to be leading the way in the latter and the growth of the circular economy in transnational and domestic affairs of the global village. We owe it to Irish and EU beef farmers to ensure that this is done. We are all interconnected. That is the whole basis of debate. Such a review would have to be done at a European level and would set a precedent for climate-proofing other trade agreements. It would be complex.

I have a question for the Minister which the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Humphreys, could not answer yesterday when I asked her. When I speak of doing a climate and environmental impact assessment on the deal, I do not mean only agriculture but also transport. What type of vehicles will the Germans sell into South America? Is it specified that they will be electric vehicles? There is no evidence to suggest that the Paris climate agreement commitment tagged on to the EU Mercosur trade deal can or will be observed. There are no monitoring systems to provide empirical data on climate destruction or climate action in South America other than the sure felling of raining forests.