Talks between the European Commission and the Mercosur trading bloc in South America are continuing, despite several EU countries being hit with farmer protests.
The protesting farmers are expressing anger over a range of issues, including prices received for their produce.
The EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement has long been an object of criticism for farm organisations in the EU, who say that the deal – which would allow the Mercosur countries of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to export an additional 99,000t of beef tariff free to the EU – would undermine beef farmers in Europe.
The European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis said last week that it was possible that the trade deal can be finalised and ratified before the end of the current commission’s term of office after the European elections this June.
Despite protests continuing this week and the current climate of anger and dissatisfaction among farmers, the commission seems undeterred, with one spokesperson for the commission telling EuroParlRadio: “Of course the negotiations are ongoing, but we are not there yet.
“We continue to pursue the same objectives, in particular in the area of sustainability that we have all along, and taking into account, of course, the interests of our agricultural sector,” the spokesperson added.
However, the protests continue to cast doubt on the prospect of the deal being finalised.
Yesterday (Tuesday, January 30), Denis Drennan, the president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), said: “Even the idea that a deal can be rushed through before the commission’s mandate expires is as astonishing as it is demoralising.”
The ICMSA claimed that the commission’s “scramble” to get the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement finalised will “end forever the commission’s credibility” on global warning.
Concern over the Mercosur deal was also raised by Copa Cogeca, the group representing EU farm organisations and agri-cooperatives, in an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today (Wednesday, January 31).
The Copa letter said that the Mercosur agreement is “unacceptable” for most EU farmers.
“A continuous push for getting the deal across the line will be perceived as a further provocation by the farming community and will increase the rejection for decisions taken by the European Commission,” Copa told President von der Leyen.
The commission has today responded to the protests proposing a one-year derogation for farmers from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules on fallow lands.
The commission said that the proposal is “carefully calibrated to provide the right balance between offering appropriate relief to farmers facing numerous crises on the one hand, and protecting biodiversity and soil quality on the other hand”.
The measure will be voted on in the coming days by member states during a committee meeting.