French farmers plan new wave of protests in November triggered by anger over EU trade deal

French farmers are planning fresh nationwide protests this November over concerns about the EU-Mercosur trade deal. 

Two of France’s main farming unions have announced a new wave of protests next month against a trade deal that is being negotiated between the EU and South American countries in the Mercosur bloc. 

The finalisation of the deal is expected before the end of the year, potentially on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November. 

The FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs unions are planning nationwide protests from mid-November. 

“We call on our network to restart protests from 15 November 2024,” presidents of the two unions, Arnaud Rousseau and Pierrick Horrel told the French newspaper Ouest-France. This is three days before the start of the G20 summit in Brazil. 

The exact nature of these protests has not yet been confirmed but Rousseau also told journalists at a news conference on Tuesday that they could reach Brussels. 

Why are French farmers opposed to the trade deal?

FNSEA says the Mercosur trade deal is the latest trigger in its growing frustration with the “incoherency” of EU policies. French farmers worry that a deal with the Mercosur bloc will mean an influx of cheap beef and other agricultural products which they say don't have to comply with strict EU regulations.

“The agreement would open the door to 99,000 tonnes of beef, 180,000 tonnes of poultry, the equivalent of 3.4 million tonnes of corn and 180,000 tonnes of sugar,” FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs warned in a joint press release. 

A compensation fund has reportedly been proposed by the European Commission to appease farmers’ concerns, according to an article published by Politico on 16 October. FNSEA says this is a “provocation for European farmers” that “would consist of selling off our agriculture and condemning the sustainability of our farms by importing food that Europe does not want”.

Previous widespread farmers' protests kicked off across Europe earlier this year due to anger over environmental regulations and competition from cheap imports. 

France has seen further local protests in recent weeks with unions concerned about a “lack of concrete and sustainable measures” in the face of growing pressures such as weather-related crop failures and disease outbreaks. 

Pressure rises on France to oppose the deal

Though a deal with Mercosur was originally reached in 2019, several EU states initially blocked it because of a lack of environmental commitments in the draft agreement and concerns about its impact on European agriculture. France has been one of the most prominent opponents. 

A number of French MPs have put renewed pressure on France to oppose the deal in recent weeks saying it would be “deleterious for biodiversity and forests, but also for farmers and employees who see themselves in an unfair competition with markets where environmental and social standards are lower”.

The French Greens urged President Emmanuel Macron to propose the formation of a coalition of EU countries against the deal. 

When quizzed about the deal last week, Macron said that “as it stands, [it] is not an acceptable treaty”. 

"We are calling for substantial compliance with the Paris agreements, mirror clauses and the protection of European interests, industries and farmers because it's a question of a level playing field," he added.