The result of the vote in the European Parliament on the referral of the Mercosur Agreement to the ECJ clearly shows how divisive this agreement is.
It also shows that the arguments put forward by the farming community, which just want fairness, have made sense to a lot of Members of Parliament, across national and political lines.
European farmers and agri-cooperatives are the first to pay for geopolitical upheavals and unrest. Fair and balanced trade, coherent with internal policies needs to be a certainty, even in uncertain times. Trade policy cannot continue to reward lower standards while European farmers are asked to do more with less.
The current global uncertainty is an additional reason for the EU to invest in and protect a sector that lies at the very foundation of the European project, that boosts the EU economy by contributing to a positive agri-food trade balance and sustains rural communities while providing citizens with safe, high-quality and nutritious food.
Fonte: Copa Cogeca
