EU‑Mercosur trade deal faces backlash from France and Poland
Nothing is finalised yet, but negotiations between the EU and Mercosur countries regarding a free trade agreement for food have concluded with an accord. The service farmer.pl checked how many products from the association's countries are now being imported into the European Union and Poland.
The agreement between the EU and Mercosur, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, is sparking protests in the Union. Governments from Poland and France, as well as activists and farmers, are raising concerns that production standards in South America and Europe differ drastically. This is worrying for European producers, who face higher costs on the so-called Old Continent, and for environmentalists and activists advocating for animal welfare.
The European Commission assures that import restrictions will be applied to the EU market to protect local producers from cheaper food from Mercosur countries. For farmers, this will be a new development, as shown by Eurostat data.
According to information from the farmer.pl service, European statistical office data shows that in 2023 Poland did not import pork, poultry, or eggs from Mercosur association countries. Regarding imports to the entire EU, 72,000 eggs were brought in last year.
France and Poland against the Mercosur agreement
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, during a conference in Warsaw with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, expressed his reservations about the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries. The French leader fears the negative impact of the agreement on the European agricultural market.
Macron stressed that he will not agree to the agreement in its current form and expects further clarification from the European Commission. He stated that he does not intend to sacrifice French agriculture in the name of mercantilism. He added that trade should align with the principles of ecology and sovereignty.
For the agreement to come into effect, it must be ratified by the European Union. There are two possible paths: either the agreement will require ratification by all national parliaments, or it will need to be voted on by the European Parliament and the member states in the EU Council.
In the second scenario, states would decide by a qualified majority, which means approval from 15 out of 27 countries representing at least 65% of the EU's population.
