EU farmers reaffirm opposition to Mercosur deal as talks resume
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Agriland | 14 October 2024
EU farmers reaffirm opposition to Mercosur deal as talks resume
by Charles O’Donnell
Several EU-wide organisations representing farmers across several sectors have reaffirmed their opposition to the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, as talks between both sides have restarted.
EU and Mercosur officials met last week in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, to advance talks on the agreement, which has been a source of intense controversy, and opposition from both farmer groups and environmentalists, as well as many politicians in Ireland and across Europe.
The agreement, if ratified, would allow an additional 99,000t of beef from Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) enter the EU tariff free.
Concerns have been raised that this beef will not be produced to the same environmental standards that EU beef producers have to abide by.
In a joint statement, several EU farm organisations – including Copa Cogeca, which is an umbrella group for national farm organisations and agricultural co-operatives – highlighted the potential repercussions for the EU agri-food supply chain.
“Since 2019, the European Commission has introduced significant legislative texts under the European Green Deal… These initiatives, which, impact the future of European agriculture, do not ensure reciprocity with our trade partners or coherence between internal and external policies,” the statement said.
It added: “This creates an imbalance, giving competitors with weaker environmental regulations and unfair market advantage.”
Apart from Copa Cogeca, the other groups behind the joint statement are:
- AVEC – Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade;
- CEFS – European Association of Sugar Manufacturers;
- CEPM – European Confederation of Maize Production;
- CIBE – International Confederation of European Beet Growers;
- EUWEP – European Union of Wholesale with Eggs, Egg Products, Poultry and Game.
“Even with an additional sustainability instrument, its details remaining vague, it is clear that Mercosur countries are not in a position to adopt similar standards imposed on European farmers,” the statement said.
“We cannot accept an agreement that penalises EU producers for complying with these standards, allowing imports from countries that do not face the same requirements,” it added.
“Moreover, this deal risks promoting trade in products associated with environmental degradation and biodiversity loss in Mercosur countries, particularly Brazil. These impacts could have devastating consequences for our environment and agriculture.
“Additionally, we must consider the implications for animal welfare, as the standards applied in Mercosur countries do not align with those in the EU, which could undermine our efforts to promote the ethical treatment of animals,” the six organisations said.
These groups also warned that, if the trade deal sees progress, it could reignite famer protests around Europe, especially among farmers in sectors exposed to the agreement and that are important for local agriculture sectors.
“Our sectors are already facing numerous uncertainties. The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to a surge in imports of Ukrainian products, coupled with a concerning high level in energy and fertiliser costs,” they said.
“Adding the EU-Mercosur agreement to this context would exacerbate these competitive disadvantages without providing any tangible guarantees of progress on sustainability.”
The statement said that ratifying the agreement would go against the spirit of the recently concluded Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, and would “send a terrible message to the agri-food community” at the beginning of the new European Commission.
