At the beginning of this week, leading European media reported on the prospect of an imminent presentation of the EU-Mercosur agreement by the European Commission, taking advantage of what it considers to be ‘favourable timing’ in Brussels.
The prospect of putting forward for ratification by the European Parliament and Council an agreement that has not evolved in substance, and through a procedure that amounts to a political push-through, is deeply damaging and sends yet another negative signal at the start of this new political season.
If confirmed in the coming days, the presentation of the EU-Mercosur agreement would add to a series of negative announcements made over the summer – from cuts to the agricultural budget envelope, to the weakening of the CAP’s common dimension, and the concessions under the EU-US agreement – all of which demonstrate that European agriculture is being relegated to the second tier of the Union’s priorities.
Such a ratification would be yet another marker of the considerable gap between the statements made at the start of President Ursula von der Leyen’s mandate and the actions taken by the Commission to date
We therefore urge the College of Commissioners to fully consider the multiple impacts that such a ratification would entail. Contrary to the prevailing thinking in the Berlaymont, we believe that the EU-Mercosur agreement has never been so economically and politically damaging for Europe’s farmers, rural communities, and consumers.
Fonte: Copa and Cogeca
