The leading members of the EU’s farmer and agricultural co-operative organisations have stressed their opposition and growing “tension” to the new European Commissioner for Agriculture over the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement.
The leading decision making body of Copa Cogeca – which includes the presidents and various vice-presidents of both Copa (EU farmers) and Cogeca (EU farmer co-operatives) – met with the new commissioner Christophe Hansen last week.
Hansen joined the meeting of the farm leaders “to hear firsthand the widespread tension and unanimous opposition to the ongoing negotiations”, Copa Cogeca said after the meeting.
It is understood that talks between the EU and the Mercosur trading bloc of South American countries are entering the final stages, with some suggestions that the deal could be finalised early this month.
“The signing of a trade agreement with Mercosur countries at the start of the new commission’s term would represent a severe blow to European agriculture. This move also runs counter to the dialogue-first approach championed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,” a statement from joint farm organisation said.
Copa said that, during the meetings, agricultural representatives from across Europe voiced their “strong concerns loud and clear”.
“The agricultural component of this agreement is economically unbalanced and unfair due to divergence of standards, and poses a fundamental threat to Europe’s agricultural model due to cumulative effects with other trade agreements,” the statement said.
“EU farmers and co-operatives have always guaranteed safety standards to 500 million consumers. That is why, in its current form, no compensatory or emergency mechanisms could make this deal acceptable.
“While EU farmers are already concerned with poor harvests in many EU member states, it is also impossible not to take into consideration the efforts our producers will have to make to further advance our trade relationship with Ukraine and face the ongoing trade tensions with China,” the organisation added.
On December 9, the leadership of Copa Cogeca will meet with the presidency of the Council of the EU – currently Hungary under the rotating presidency system – “in order to ensure the agriculture sector’s opposition is clearly heard”.
Speaking ahead of Copa Cogeca’s meeting with Commissioner Hansen last week, the president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) – which is a member of Copa – said: “The impact of a negative trade deal would be felt beyond the farmgate, with processing and upstream value hit by any decisions to allow more imports”.
Francie Gorman said: “The commission’s plans appear to be to ignore the devastating impact of agricultural production in Brazil, while at the same time imposing greater regulations on farmers here.”