The Parliament of Catalonia says “NO” to Mercosur, clashing with President Illa’s Catalan government
Esquerra Republicana | 13 March 2025
The Parliament of Catalonia says “NO” to Mercosur, clashing with President Illa’s Catalan government
The PSC, the governing Catalan branch of Spain’s Socialists, and the Spanish People’s Party voted against a motion by Esquerra rejecting the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement that would harm small and mid-sized farms
The Parliament of Catalonia has endorsed an Esquerra Republicana draft rejecting the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, decrying the distress it would cause small and mid-sized agricultural and livestock farms. Catalonia’s ‘NO’ to Mercosur was thus made explicit in the Catalan chamber, despite the Catalan government’s vote. The PSC and the People’s Party voted against this point and the better part of Esquerra’s motion.
Esquerra’s parliamentary group also harvested the chamber’s support for Catalan farmers, while urging the PSC government to firmly defend the farmers’ interests “in the face of unfair competition, as well as being an effective guarantee of environmental, phytosanitary and labour standards.”
As denounced by Esquerra, the present Mercosur agreement would harm Catalonia’s prevalent farming model in terms of viability and economic competition and would place its social and environmental purpose at risk as defended by Esquerra member of parliament and spokesperson on the Parliament Agriculture Committee Montse Bergés. “Mercosur makes farming a bargaining chip and sacrifices the primary sector for the benefit of other sectors; it is detrimental to Catalan and European farming,” said Ms Bergés.
