With negotiations for an EU-Mercosur agreement in full swing, COPA and COGECA held their Praesidia in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. The incoming European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, joined the house of European farmers and agricooperatives to hear firsthand the widespread tension and unanimous opposition to the ongoing negotiations.

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 President Ursula von der Leyen. 

During the meetings, agricultural representatives from across Europe voiced their strong concerns loud and clear: the agricultural component of this agreement is economically unbalanced, unfair due to divergence of standards, and poses a fundamental threat to Europe’s agricultural model due to cumulative effects with other trade agreements. EU farmers and cooperatives 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 to not 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.  

As already underlined in our open letter address to President von der Leyen and Heads of states, farmers and agri-cooperatives will never endorse an imbalanced and environmentally detrimental trade agreement. Actions and demonstrations are already multiplying across Europe and will intensify. 

On December 9, the Presidents of Copa and Cogeca, together with members of the Presidency will be in Brussels to meet with the Presidency of the Council and Agriculture Ministers in order to ensure the agricultural sector's opposition is clearly heard.

On Thursday, incoming Commissioner Christophe Hansen, just days ahead of officially taking office, engaged in discussions with Copa and Cogeca representatives about this critical issue and heard the expectations of the farming community towards the "Vision for the Future of Agriculture and Food" promised within the first 100 days of the mandate. Copa and Cogeca will actively contribute to this key initiative to provide perspective and predictability for the sector, presenting their own proposals on the matter in the coming weeks.