Farmers’ concerns on Mercosur deal 'addressed' - commission
The European Commission said it has introduced a range of measures that address farmers’ concerns about the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement.
The commission yesterday (Wednesday, September 3) formally proposed the deal for approval by the European Council.
Members of the European Parliament will also vote on the agreement with the four Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The deal will allow 99,000t of Mercosur beef to enter the EU at a reduced tariff rate of 7.5%. The quantity of beef under this quota will be phased in over a five-year period.
This aspect of the deal has caused controversy among EU farm organisations and many politicians.
They believe EU beef producers will face unfair competition from Mercosur beef.
Peter Power, head of the European Commission in Ireland, said that the commission has listened to farmers and taken the necessary steps to resolve their concerns.
"We're now at a crunch point where the European Commission has looked again at what's on the table, made some changes that have been called for by farming lobbies throughout the European Union.
"The beef imports were the particular concern. We have quotas which will be gradually introduced and filled over several years.
"We also have a situation where if there is market disturbance, if the imports exceed expectation, the commission will examine the situation and take measures that will bring order to the market again.
"There's also a fund of €6 billion set up which will help if there is market disturbance," he told EU News Radio.
However, Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella organisation representing farmers and agri cooperatives across Europe, said that the EU Commission's proposal falls short.
The group believes that the EU–Mercosur Partnership Agreement remains "a threat to sustainability and fair competition".
While yesterday's announcement clarified certain aspects of safeguard implementation, Copa-Cogeca said "critical questions remain over how such a unilateral legal act would be voted on, enforced, and accepted by Mercosur countries".
The organisation said its "longstanding concerns remain unchanged", particularly when it comes to production standards and sustainability challenges.
"The commission may insist it has 'listened to farmers', but facts indicate clearly that EU agriculture continues to be treated as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations.
"The same pattern evident in the recent US arrangement risks being repeated in ongoing trade talks with other third countries.
"Sensitive agricultural sectors already under pressure risk suffering unbearable cumulative impacts," Copa-Cogeca said.
The organisation added that the "push for ratification", comes while key decisions on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) are "still pending".
Copa-Cogeca said it is also "deeply concerned" by the ratification process envisaged by the commission.
"Bypassing national parliamentary scrutiny on such a politically and economically sensitive deal undermines democratic legitimacy and amounts to a political push-through.
"Given the initial negotiating mandate and the far-reaching implications for European agriculture, national parliaments should also be consulted," it said.
Copa-Cogeca urged the EU Council and MEPs to reject the commission’s proposal.
