French farmers rally against EU‑Mercosur trade pact
French agricultural organizations are calling for protests against the EU agreement with Mercosur due to threats to European agriculture, reports PAP. Demonstrations are expected to begin on November 18th. According to Politico, the EU agreement with South American countries could be signed later this year.
6:46 PM EST, November 13, 2024
The protests have been announced by FNSEA, one of the main agricultural organizations in France, as well as Coordination Rurale and Confederation Paysanne, which originated from movements against economic globalization.
"Your listeners are not aware that the trade agreement linking South American countries with Europe could have dramatic consequences for France," said Arnaud Rousseau, head of FNSEA, in an interview with France Inter radio.
Appeal to the European Commission: France fears Mercosur
More than 600 deputies have issued an appeal to the President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, emphasizing that the agreement does not meet democratic and environmental criteria.
The Prime Minister of France is set to discuss the matter with the EC President in Brussels. According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, Michel Barnier is poised to express "his absolute opposition to the agreement."
France fears that products from Mercosur countries do not meet EU standards. The agreement, termed "cows for cars," is controversial due to lower environmental requirements in Mercosur countries.
EU-Mercosur agreement this year? The meat industry opposes
According to Politico, the EU may sign an agreement with Mercosur in early December during a summit in Montevideo, Uruguay. Candidate for the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, warns that if the EU does not sign the agreement, China might.
Mercosur is a political and economic organization comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. The EU has been negotiating the terms of a free trade agreement for over 20 years.
Negotiations are delayed partly due to opposition from France, which fears the agreement's impact on European agriculture's competitiveness. Among the concerns are significantly lower environmental requirements in Mercosur countries and differing food production standards.
However, France is not the only country with reservations about strengthening cooperation with South American countries. Poland also has doubts. Opponents of the initiative emphasize that food products from Mercosur countries often do not meet EU standards, including sustainability requirements.
The Polish meat industry is among the skeptics. Recently, organizations addressed a letter to Prime Minister Donald Tusk regarding the trade agreement with Mercosur and called for an urgent meeting.
The letter's signatories pointed out that Polish farmers have not agreed to the trade agreement between Mercosur countries and the EU. Their opposition stems from concerns that such a deal could undermine the future of European and Polish agriculture, significantly impacting the industry.
"It could also spark mass protests, even larger than those across the European Union this past spring. We regret that the European Commission did not heed the farmers' voices, who opposed signing the agreement with Mercosur. We - farmers, the meat industry, and workers in the agricultural sector - strongly oppose treating the agro-food sector as a bargaining chip to promote the export of other goods without considering the serious economic, social, and environmental effects this agreement entails for the European agricultural markets," the representatives indicate.
Meanwhile, countries such as Spain, Germany, and Italy support the agreement. The consent of 15 of the 27 EU member states is needed to adopt the agreement.
