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European lawmakers warn about the impact of a EU/Mercosur accord

Friday, May 23rd 2014 - 10:36 UTC
Full article 22 comments

European Parliament lawmakers Marian Harkin and Pat The Cope Gallagher have issued strong warnings of soundings coming from Europe of a potential Mercosur trade deal, particularly European Commission President Barroso intention of having the agreement signed before he steps down from office. Read full article

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  • Brasileiro

    We are very competitive in agricultural and livestock area. Open your market and we swallow you ....... however with regard to industry ......

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgczDXi4eDo&list=FLmXPTu1f8AdGlizWNiASx2A&feature=mh_lolz

    May 23rd, 2014 - 11:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anglotino

    33,000 jobs!

    That's all? Out of a population of 505 million.

    First world problems.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 11:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    505M Irish?

    Don't blame any World, blame Aussie education system...

    May 23rd, 2014 - 11:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    @2 Anglotino

    I believe that Ireland is more worried about the effect it will have on Irelands already very fragile economy.

    Whilst I have no problems with this trade agreement, it needs to be fully supported by ALL EU members and ALL members of MERCOSUR.

    If not, well it could be disasterous for both parties. However, trade is good, but a certain Mercosur member (we all know who) will have to remember that trade goes both ways, and will have to remove their trade barriers, or risk the whole trade agreement floundering.

    In fact, I hope that the EU lawyers put a clause into the treaty to the effect that any member state of either the EU or Mercosur that breaks the treaty, will themselves be excluded from the treaty.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 11:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    Free trade remember?
    You have no clue, you think it's SA protectionism that is the problem, all while you outsource your own production to China.

    SA is much bigger than your conventional maps and will have a great impact on agriculture in Europe. Outsource all you want, but don't cut the legs that upholds your societies. You are only filling a few pockets in Brussels.

    Local production is crucial. Let's trade, but let's do it in a responsible manner. It's a lie the market can't be controlled. They control it, and by doing so, they control ordinary people's options, desires and thoughts.
    We should not remove competition entirely, merely control it in a way that assures us we can base a society on cooperation using competition as a tool to progression.

    I am protectionist. In Uruguay, in Ireland and in Ghana. I think every country should have their basic needs provided locally. I think nobody should gain from other people's basic needs other than excess of them.
    Education, healthcare, infrastructure and energy being the main areas where cooperation should be preferred instead of competition.

    Is not a bad thing to protect people's right to work and be able to live in their own country and not having to settle for a life of survival, chasing the will of the market...

    May 23rd, 2014 - 12:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Conqueror

    @2 Who are you? I don't believe that this comment comes from the “real” Anglotino.

    Anybody with an ounce of common would recognise the import of 33,000 farm jobs. Notice that? Not 33,000 jobs, 33,000 FARM jobs. The people that grow and harvest, rear, shear, milk and send for slaughter.

    What happens to the jobs of the people that undertake the subsequent processes? The transportation? The cleaning? The slaughter? The packaging? More transportation? Other processes?

    What will inflation-prevalent mercosur sell goods for? And this is just the moment. Mercosur is also desperate for a deal. Take the example of the Chinese deal for gas with Russia. Time for the EU to indicate ALL its conditions. Maximum prices it will pay based on “normal” world price less 20%. And any agricultural produce must be subject to stringent and extra health checks at the expense of the exporting state. And lots and lots of penalty clauses to reflect what various latam countries usually get up to. Samples, samples and more samples! Then, here in Europe, we can make sure we don't buy any of it.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 01:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • darragh

    I shouldn't get too excited about this.

    Marian Harkin and Pat Gallagher are standing as prospective MEP's at the European elections. They are just after Irish rural votes so that they can continue their progress on the EC gravy-train.

    I don't know why Mercopress refers to them as 'European Parliament law makers' - they are jsut MEP's and have as much influence over law making as my cat - probably less in fact.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 01:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anglotino

    Stevie
    “Don't blame any World, blame Aussie education system...”

    Thank you for that glowing reference. Yes our education system has given us the standard of living that the countries you are always cheering (Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil and Russia) can only dream of.

    I'm not use to praise from you.

    Conqs
    Yes it is the “real” Anglotino. I believe in most facets of free trade. If a job relies solely on the farm sector then it is include in that figure. Otherwise, as per most hyperbolic politicians, they would have chosen the highest possible number. Because 50,000 or 100,000 sounds much worse than 33,000.

    In all free trade deals you win something and you lose something. same as the other side. It is the degree you can balance these.

    I stand by my comment.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 01:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    What happened then, you missed comprehension classes? 33 000 jobs in the Irish agriculture sector is bound to have an impact on Irish quality of life...

    May 23rd, 2014 - 02:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Heisenbergcontext

    @9 Stevie

    “It is estimated 33 000 farm jobs could be lost across the EU...”.

    That's the WHOLE of the EU, not just Ireland.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 02:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anglotino

    Actually Stevie I'm so glad you replied to my message. Why you could almost imagine that I baited you.... almost.

    So I quote you:
    “33 000 jobs in the Irish agriculture sector”

    And I quote the article:
    “It is estimated that 33,000 farm jobs could be lost across the EU”

    Now, I do believe you were taking about one of us missing “comprehension classes”!

    May 23rd, 2014 - 02:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    An FTA with Mercosur would cost 33 000 jobs in the whole EU?
    I did indeed comprehend entirely wrong!
    Soy, wheat, beef, wool, fruits at prices no European payer of salaries can compete with is estimated to cost 33 000 jobs across the EU?
    Must be the same people that did the numbers on youth employment in the same organisation...

    My apologies Anglotino, I'll have to turn to other educational institutions entirely...

    May 23rd, 2014 - 02:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anglotino

    I'm going to sleep.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 02:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GeoffWard2

    0.07% change in the EU jobs-base (33k/505m) [Harkin and Gallagher are standing as prospective MEP's at the European elections; they are just after Irish rural votes].

    Agriculture in the EU = 7.2 million employees;
    change might be as much as 0.5%.
    This is not a vast change.

    Perhaps as many as 1000 jobs may be lost in the EU beef sector - and, with 30 or so countries in the EU, this could mean

    May 23rd, 2014 - 03:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Stevie

    Another one prepared to send somebody else's children to war... Continue Geoff...

    May 23rd, 2014 - 04:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Conqueror

    @8 Then get back down from your Aussie high horse. Sparsely-populated developing countries may include all sorts of figures. Established nations don't. One day you may learn that. Quite specific. “Farm” jobs. Not related jobs. Ever been to a proper farm? Not an Australian ranch. Seen the number of people ploughing, planting, weeding, etc, etc. Get a grip. Or are you hoping Australia can slide in under the bar? Make no mistake. You are no longer a trusted friend of the UK. Bit of history and then you decided to go your own way. So become a Chinky-Japo place if you want. Nothing to do with us.
    @14 Do explain. Try this. 33,000 people don't plant. Take it from there. Here's some clues. How many “farms” across the EU? How many workers per farm? Let's say 10 for England, 20 for Ireland, 50 for France. How's your maths?

    May 23rd, 2014 - 08:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    So this is a “story” about two people who want to keep the slush money coming in?

    WGAF!

    It has not happened yet and it may not happen in the time frame that the other Brasso thinks he can do.

    Big deal.

    May 23rd, 2014 - 08:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Gordo1

    N.B. For the “malvinistas” - these people are from your alleged ally, the Republic of Ireland!

    May 24th, 2014 - 06:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GeoffWard2

    (Cont. #14) ... perhaps 100 lost workers in the Irish beef industry. Greater losses will occur in Eastern EU, in Spain and in France, but not in beef husbandry.

    0.5% is able to be absorbed, especially as the EU offers compensatory 'offsetting' deals where hardship is argued politically.

    My bigger concern is with the EU-USA Free Trade Area negotiations. Much bigger issues are not being voiced.

    May 24th, 2014 - 07:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anglotino

    Conqs

    There’s a reason there’s an Aussie high horse, especially when I read yet another of your incomprehensible rants.

    Even if you extrapolate out those 33,000 jobs to taking into account related and associated jobs and family members affect… let’s say 1,000 per job. So now we have 33,000,000 people affected.

    That 6.5% of the EU’s population. So for some reason the remaining 93.5% of the population should somehow subsidise this minority? Why? So that Europe can happily have people ploughing, planting and weeding?

    Perhaps those people would be better employed in different industries. That’s what modern and flexible and dynamic economies do, they reallocate labour to its best use.

    “Make no mistake. You are no longer a trusted friend of the UK”.

    Oh poor Conqs, is this the part where you just starting swigging from the bottle instead of using a glass?

    We are indeed a trusted friend of the UK, that was a pretty pathetic claim to make.

    “Bit of history and then you decided to go your own way”.

    We did indeed. And thank you. Your history is our history but our history is not yours.

    “So become a Chinky-Japo place if you want”.

    Umm yeah, play the racism card. Our largest immigrant community is British. Guess they must like it here.

    May 26th, 2014 - 11:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • tRoll_with_the_Punches

    Argentina was right all along.

    Europe is an unreliable, tin-pot 'partner'. Look at the elections yesterday. I would not be shocked if WWIII will be yet again Frence-Britain vs Germany-Italy but this time the Nazis will be the Frogs and Rostbeefs.

    May 26th, 2014 - 01:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Steve R

    Would you care to expand on these thoughts? After all the only openly neo nazi's elected to become EMP's were from Germany/Hungary and Greece :-O

    While I might not support UKIP they can hardly be called neo nazi's, sure they have a few fruit cakes in amongst them but then so do most political parties. As for the French Front National, there leader is slowly moving them away from the far right (this might also account for the high vote they got) Sure they are anti immigration but not to the extent that people might at first imagine. Take UK, they want to ensure that someone can support them selfs (+ family) for 5 years and you must have a skill or a guaranteed job, they want to cut down on the issue of Health tourism, again whats wrong with that? They are not shouting out for repatriation of any one who is not white are they?

    May 27th, 2014 - 04:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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