EU seals long-awaited Mercosur trade deal despite resistance
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced in Uruguay's capital that the EU's negotiations with Mercosur countries regarding free trade have concluded. Poland and France oppose this, citing the interests of their farmers, including poultry and beef producers.
EC President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday (6th December) in Montevideo the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia.
The agreement, negotiated for 25 years, aims to open South American markets to European technologies and to source raw materials for the production of clean technologies.
The issue raises controversy on the so-called Old Continent. The agreement is criticised by European farmers who fear the influx of cheap agricultural products from countries such as Brazil and Argentina.
For the agreement to come into force, it must be ratified by the European Union. The EC will decide whether ratification will be required by all national parliaments or if the consent of the European Parliament and the EU Council will suffice.
The resistance bloc in the EU against the agreement with Mercosur countries
France, Poland, and Italy have expressed opposition to the agreement, while the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supports the deal. Regardless of the chosen ratification path, the future of the agreement remains uncertain.
Diplomatic efforts are underway to build a minority that will block this type of resolution. Such a minority is possible to construct, said Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at the end of November.
- Agreements signed by the EU must be safe for consumers and farmers. The Mercosur agreement does not meet this criterion - argued the Minister of National Defence and the chairman of the Polish People's Party.
Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed out that Polish farmers, to sell their food, "must meet very demanding standards and face huge restrictions, which are the result of many years of European Union activities." He added that in South American countries, this certainly does not happen "to the same standards as in the EU".
