EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen has said the commission has not yet decided whether to go ahead with implementing the Mercosur trade deal while its legality is being examined.
Sinn Féin has said such a move would be a slap in the face for Ireland.
Mr Hansen and Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin are in Dublin for meetings with government ministers and have appeared at the Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs.
Mr Hansen was quoted in a Sunday newspaper criticising the Government’s decision on Mercosur as “incoherent” and “inconsistent”.
Asked about the deal at the committee this morning, Mr Hansen defended the deal and warned against putting all the EU’s eggs in one basket.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said that he did not have to justify the Government’s decision to oppose the Mercosur trade deal during a meeting with Mr Hansen earlier today.
Mr Harris said that the European Commission recognised that member states have an opportunity to have their say, adding that Ireland was not alone in its opposition as France, Poland and Belgium also voted against the deal.
“There’s a recognition right across the European Union and the European Commission that there are different views and different perspectives.
“We’re proudly pro-trade in this country, we benefited significantly from open trade. But we do have to assess every trade agreement on its own merits, and this was one that just didn’t pass … in terms of consumer and agri concerns.”
Watch: Simon Harris says move to oppose Mercosur didn’t need justification
Mr Harris said it was important to ensure there was a level playing field for Irish farmers and Irish food producers in not being asked to abide by higher standards than countries that are able to import produce that reduce tariffs or zero tariffs into the European Union.
Asked about the contrast between the Irish support for the EU-India trade deal and its opposition to Mercosur, Mr Harris said the India deal was not based around agriculture.
“It’s a trade deal that will show huge benefits, for example, for the likes of our drinks industry, for many products as well.
“We assess trade deals on their merits, on a case by case basis. And also, when we campaign in elections and say certain things, we stand by those things.”
He added that his party had campaigned in the election promising to oppose Mercosur in its current form and he said that despite working to the “eleventh hour”, they could not secure sufficient changes.