EU-Mercosur Agreement
On Monday in Brussels, the ministers of agriculture of EU member states will discuss, among others: the result of the negotiations on the free trade agreement with Mercosur that ended on Friday in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. They are against this agreement France, Poland and Italy.
However, before the meeting with ministers, Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen emphasized that the agreement was negotiated in accordance with the position of the member states adopted within the EU Council. As he noted, the EC is ready to talk to farmers about the agreement. He did not want to say whether compensation would be involved and in what amounts.
Poland will not accept the agreement
Minister Siekierski he repeated that the Polish government will not accept an agreement that is unfavorable for farmers. He said it was too early to say whether Poland would consider potential compensation.
“We believe that the EU agricultural market has been made too accessible to goods from other countries Mercosur, so this would require significant compensation for farmers to be able to cope with this competition,” said the Minister of Agriculture.
“We must relate the volume of assumed imports allowed under the quotas to our market share,” he added. He informed that the ministry is also preparing reports in this context for the import of goods from Ukraine. “This discussion will probably also go in this direction, in order to create certain arguments to convince farmers,” Siekierski emphasized.
Labeling of food originating in Europe
The Minister of Agriculture was also asked about Germany’s proposed introduction of product labels that would allow consumers to easily recognize European food. Siekierski emphasized that Poland and Germany they have a different position on this matter. He emphasized that first of all it will be necessary to ask farmers for their opinion. “I am afraid that this conversation with farmers about these solutions at the table will be overtaken by farmers’ protests on the roads,” he admitted.
The EC is yet to publish the text of the negotiated agreement. It will then decide on the ratification path.
From Brussels Magdalena Cedro (PAP)
