EU farming unions to protest against Mercosur agreement

BRUSSELS, Dec 18 (KUNA) -- European farming unions on Thursday are organising a mass demonstration in Brussels protesting European farming policies, mainly the free trade agreement between the EU and the South American economic bloc Mercosur, which they consider a direct threat to European farmers, especially livestock breeders.
Leaders of the European agricultural union alliance Copa-Cogeca said in statements carried by Belgian media that the proposed agreement with Mercosur countries is "unacceptable", warning that it would lead to the flooding of the European market with lower cost agricultural products that fall short of environmental and health standards, thereby undermining the competitiveness of European farmers and threatening the sustainability of the sector.
Thousands of farmers from Belgium, France, and other countries are expected to take part in the demonstration to put pressure on EU institutions. Other agricultural organizations, including Via Campesina and the French Confأ©dأ©ration Paysanne, also announced parallel actions using tractors in other European cities to protest the same agreement.
The unions stressed that the Mercosur agreement runs counter to the EUآ’s stated objectives in food security and environmental protection, arguing that "opening borders to agricultural imports that are not subject to the same standards will undermine confidence in European farming policy." They called on the European Commission to abandon the agreement and to engage in serious dialogue with farmersآ’ representatives to ensure the protection of European agricultural production and avoid sacrificing it in the context of "imbalanced" trade deals.
The trade agreement with Mercosur countries namely Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay would create the worldآ’s largest free trade area. Under the agreement, the EU would be able to export more vehicles, machinery, and alcoholic beverages to Latin America, while facilitating the entry of beef, sugar, rice, honey, and soybeans from South America into Europe, raising concerns among agricultural sectors.
Italy has joined France in strongly opposing the agreement, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday calling for postponing the signing of the trade deal between the bloc and Mercosur countries.
The EU Commission hopes to sign the agreement at the Mercosur summit on Saturday in the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaأ§u, but it first needs the approval of a qualified majority of member states. Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said that heads of state and government "will discuss the matter at the European Council" on Thursday. (end) arn.mt