With the opaque European elections now settled, there seems to be renewed optimism to put the Mercosur deal back in the spotlight. From Copa-Cogeca, “we have talked about this deal many times, but with the next round of negotiations just days away, our sectors are feeling the pressure, once again, to voice their strong opposition to this deal.”

Since the EU and Mercosur states reached a political agreement in 2019 on a comprehensive trade agreement, the partner organisations around Copa-Cogeca have strongly opposed it due to the adverse effects it would have on our producers, but also on the environment. This agreement, in principle, does not take into account the changes and initiatives that have resulted from the EU Green Deal nor the changing landscape in which agriculture operates today, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the war in Ukraine.

It seems that for geopolitical reasons and in the interests of some industries, the Commission is willing to turn a blind eye to the impact this would have on some of the most sensitive sectors of EU agriculture, especially when, following major concerns and protests from our farmers, it is discussing the future of our strategically-regarded sector.

Despite some access being granted to EU products such as wine, dairy products, olive oil, some fruits, vegetables and geographical indications, the Mercosur agreement remains unbalanced in its agricultural chapter, particularly affecting already fragile agricultural sectors such as beef, poultry, rice, sugar and ethanol.

Even with an additional instrument on sustainability, the scope of which remains unclear, it is clear that Mercosur countries are not in a position to adopt the same on-farm production standards that the EU intends and imposes on its own farmers. "Our organisations cannot, under any circumstances, accept that European standards are weakened or that any European producer is penalised in the market for following these standards. We therefore cannot fail to reiterate our resounding NO to such an agreement," Copa-Cogeca said.

It also adds to concerns about the cumulative and difficult-to-quantify impacts of all the agreements already signed by the EU and even more so when considering those that are in the pipeline, including the possible enlargement of the EU to the East.