What way the Government votes on the controversial Mercosur trade deal has to be seen “in the round” and take account of separate leeway the State was recently given on EU nitrates rules, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Odds that the trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur will be signed in January appeared to improve slightly after a call between Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Farmers in Brussels clashed with Belgian police on Dec. 18 in tense demonstrations, after protestors came out against a European-South American free trade agreement. European farmers have