Independent - Irlanda

Tánaiste seeks guarantees before ratifying.

20/02 - 14:22 - All change at Leinster House for new and re-elected deputies

Boris Johnson will pull British officials and ministers out of most EU decision-making meetings from September as the government gears up for the Brexit deadline.

It is ironic that a stone's throw from EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Irish beef is in a prime position on sale in all that city's supermarkets at a premium price. The same can be said about supermarkets across mainland Europe right now - Irish beef has finally arrived and is in big demand.

Farmers are protesting at the EU Commission offices today over what they call a ‘Sell Out’ trade deal with the South American group of Mercosur countries.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and three other European leaders have sent a letter to EU Commission President Jean Claude Junker highlighting their “deep concern” on a potential EU trade deal with Mercosur being passed next week that could “threaten agriculture” in Europe.

Journalist Lyra McKee was murdered in Derry. Defence Minister Paul Kehoe told the Irish Independent he found the sight of men and women in fake military fatigue “absolutely frightening”. “Everybody condemns it but we have to go further than just condemning it. We have to prevent this from happening in the future,” Mr Kehoe said.

The European Union is no closer to a trade deal with Mercosur because members of the South American bloc have changed their position on previously agreed issues, but expects to settle a U.S. claim for a bigger share of a beef import quota within weeks, the Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has said.

South American trade bloc Mercosur will offer the European Union (EU) a faster cut in import tariffs than currently included in a trade deal proposal, but will ask for the EU to accept more of its beef imports in exchange, the Argentine negotiator said.