Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP

A new proposal to extend the EU Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to include farmers is nothing more than a ‘poison chalice’ for the agri-sector and allows the EU Commission to plough ahead and negotiate trade agreements to the detriment of farmers, Ireland East Fine Gael MEP, Mairead McGuinness, warned this morning.

The EGF was set up to support redundant workers as a result of globalization.

McGuiness said: “Extending the fund to agriculture appears benign or at best helpful to the agriculture sector by promising €2.5 billion to assist farmers to adjust to the effects of international trade agreements.

“The Commission specifically mentioned the impact of a free trade agreement. By implication it is acknowledging that a free trade agreement will harm EU farmers and EU food production.

“If we welcome this fund and its extension to agriculture, we risk giving the Commission a license to sign a damaging trade agreement with the Mercosur group of countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), in particular.

“This could decimate EU agriculture, given that Mercosur farming is largely ranch style as opposed to the EU model of family farms but more importantly they do not farm to the high standards that have become the norm in the EU.”

McGuinness described the EGF proposal as “extremely dangerous.”

“The thinking behind the Commission proposal is to try and pull the wool over the eyes of the Agri sector by appearing to provide additional funding for the sector.

“However, this proposal is little more than a trap set by the Commission to globalize agriculture, to push EU farmers out of production and buy farmers off with the promise of a few inadequate euros.

“I am deeply unhappy about this proposal as it currently stands”, she added.