Farmers balk at prospect of EU-Mercosur free trade deal

European farmers took to the streets of Brussels on Wednesday to demonstrate against a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, mobilised by the European farmers' federation Coordination Européenne de la Via Campesina (ECVC) and the farmers' union FUGEA.

Negotiated since 1999 and due to be signed in 2019, this agreement between the EU and five Latin American countries - Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and, more recently, Bolivia - which has never been implemented, could be given the green light next week at the G20 summit being held on 18 and 19 November in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Unfair competition

The demonstrators believe that its adoption would create unfair competition for European agriculture.

"The EU-Mercosur agreement is very unfavourable for Europe. It may be good for selling cars, but it will be very bad for agriculture," ECVC member Pierre Maison told Euronews, adding: "It's going to kill off small producers again, because it's going to drive prices down, and on top of that we're going to be importing beef, for example, that we produce at home."

The dairy farmer from Haute-Savoie (France), whose farm has been hit by cattle disease bluetongue this year, fears that the agreement will deal a fatal blow to many producers who are already struggling.

"We've had quite a difficult year in Europe. We've had a lot of vagaries of the weather and diseases affecting animals and livestock," he said.

Opponents of the agreement also fear social, health and environmental consequences, such as increased deforestation for livestock farming.

Manon Aubry, a French MEP for La Gauche (GUE/NGL), claimed the health consequences would be a folly. "30% of the pesticides authorised in the Mercosur countries are banned in the European Union, and yet they will still enter the European market," she warned.

"Why go to the other side of the world to find what we know and can produce here in the European Union?" she added, pointing to what she claimed were adverse climate impacts.

Benoît Cassart, a Belgian MEP (Renew Europe), is also calling for the creation of "mirror clauses". "If we are now imposing the disappearance of a large number of plant protection products in Europe in order to improve biodiversity, we should not go and kill biodiversity on the other side of the world by increasing deforestation," he said.

A market of 720 million consumers

The aim of the agreement is to step up trade in goods and services between the EU and the South American economies by gradually eliminating trade barriers and customs duties, and standardising norms and regulations. A godsend for advocates of free trade.

"We would be opening up the world's largest market, with more than 700 million people in which our companies, even our farmers and service providers, would have opportunities," said Spanish MEP Javier Moreno Sánchez (S&D).

"Given the current geopolitical context, with Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese wanting all the markets, and the American elections that have just taken place, we need to think about diversifying our partners a little," he added.

The Member States have been at loggerheads for 25 years. While Germany, Spain and Italy are campaigning in favour, France, Poland and Austria are opposed.

It remains to be seen whether the EU will give the green light to the agreement in face of strong opposition by certain Member States, and at the risk of provoking the farming sector.