The agricultural community’s fears have materialised: today, the European Commission, on behalf of the EU, and Mercosur officials have reached a renewed agreement on their bilateral trade deal. If accepted by Member States and the European Parliament, this agreement will have profound consequences for family farming across Europe affecting also 450 million of EU consumers. Copa and Cogeca announce a Flash Action in Brussels on Monday.
For years, we have expressed firm opposition to this outdated and problematic agreement. While we recognise the EU’s need to deepen trade relations in the current geopolitical context, this must not come at any cost. The EU agricultural sector remains particularly vulnerable to the concessions made in the unbalanced agricultural chapter of this agreement. Sensitive sectors such as beef, poultry, sugar, ethanol, and rice face heightened risks of market saturation and income loss due to the influx of low-cost products from Mercosur countries. This agreement will exacerbate the economic strain on many farms already grappling with high input prices and challenging climatic conditions.
The evidence is overwhelming: Mercosur countries do not meet the production standards required of EU agriculture, whether in terms of plant protection products, animal welfare, or sustainability practices. Mercosur nations also operate under lower labor and safety standards, enabling them to produce at lower costs, which makes fair competition impossible for EU producers. There is a lack of coherence in the European Commission’s actions. In its previous mandate, the Commission multiplied constraints and regulations for our producers, yet now, at the start of its second mandate, it has prioritised this inequitable agreement.
The additional protocol on sustainability, sent to Mercosur countries in March 2023, fell short of expectations and Mercosur’s response in September 2023 clearly demonstrated a lack of ambition and commitment to uphold even basic international conventions and binding sustainability measures. This failure to address sustainability concerns has fueled opposition not only from agricultural producers but also from trade unions, environmental NGOs, and consumer organisations.
Reacting to the announcement, Copa President Massimiliano Giansanti stated: “Even before presenting its vision for the Future of Agriculture, the Commission has sent a very worrying message to millions of farmers across Europe. This is especially concerning during such a delicate phase of reopening dialogue between farmers and European institutions. Member States and MEPs must now firmly challenge the terms of this agreement and work towards a solution that guarantees a fair and balanced approach to protect the EU’s farming model. Starting Monday, we’ll be in action, exchanging views with ministers and MEPs while launching a flash action in Brussels, opposite the Council.”
Cogeca President Lennart Nilsson added, “EU farmers and agri-cooperatives are not opposed to trade but advocate for agreements that are fair, balanced, and environmentally sustainable. The current EU-Mercosur agreement fails to meet these criteria, using the agricultural sector as a bargaining chip to benefit other industries. COGECA also call on EU Member States and the European Parliament to take a strong stance against this deal.”
Fonte: Copa Cogeca
