After 25 years the Mercosur deal is reaching crunch time. The trade deal which would permit free trade between the EU and the South American countries that make up the Mercosur bloc has a deadline of December 20th.

It allows the EU to export more cars, wines and spirits to South America, with goods including meat coming the other way – and that’s what worries Iris, but also French, farmers.

There are hopes it will be signed off at this week’s two-day EU summit in Brussels; hopes at least on the part of the European Commission and Germany.

France and Italy are still holding out on signing up – urging a push-back to January on any decision – while Ireland appears stuck in the middle.

Mercosur countries form the world’s sixth largest economy with a total population of 270 million people. It’s a vast market for EU producers.

So how will the Mercosur talks play out this week and what pressure will Ireland be put under to sign up to a deal that Irish farmers say would greatly injure not just them, but the economy as a whole.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. 

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