European tractors take to the streets again. This time at the center of the protests is Mercosur, the trade agreement that the European Union is about to conclude with four Latin American countries. The protests started from France, the country that is most opposed to the conclusion of the treaty, but quickly spread to Germany, Poland and Italy. European agricultural companies fear damage and negative repercussions resulting from the elimination or lowering of duties on agricultural products entering the European market from the four Latin American states that are about to sign with Brussels.
At the center of the criticism, in addition to the arrival of food at too low prices, there is also the inadequacy of health checks. Production from South America does not respect the same standards imposed by the European Union regarding limitations in the use of pesticides, nor veterinary checks on animals. All conditions that would create a situation of “unfair competition”, denounce European producers. Some of the leaders involved in the negotiations, such as the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni, the Brazilian President Ignacio Lula da Silva and the Argentine Javier Milei are gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the G20. Many experts believe that the summit could be decisive in moving closer to closing the treaty.
The protests in France against Mercosur
At the forefront of the protests against Mercosur are the French farmers’ organizations. They denounce the proposed free trade agreement between the EU and Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). In the continent’s main agricultural country, a vast mobilization has been underway since November 18th. Compared to the demonstrations of previous months, the decision was made to avoid the road blocks, which had paralyzed the country during the February demonstrations. This time the farmers talk about “fires of anger”. Sponsoring the events is the main trade union in the sector, Fnsea associated with Young Farmers (JA). For now these are “symbolic actions”, with “85 points of demonstration”, as the president of the Young Farmers Pierrick Horel announced to Rmc. The demonstrations will also be concentrated in front of the prefectures.
The French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, has warned farmers that there will be “zero tolerance” towards “permanent blockades” of roads. The first marches started on the evening of November 17th near the Villacoublay air base, near Paris. “An EU audit report has just discovered flaws in Brazil’s procedures for monitoring compliance with health regulations,” underlined the Fédération nationale bovine. “Despite this, the European Commission is pursuing negotiations that will allow additional access to 99,000 tonnes of South American beef,” the organization highlighted. French President Emmanuel Macron is busy convincing other member states, such as Poland, to create a blocking minority within the EU to prevent the signing of the treaty.
The position of Germany and Spain on Mercosur
In Germany, assessments of Mercosur have changed profoundly over the years. While former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was reluctant to sign the agreement due to deforestation in the Amazon, socialist Olaf Scholz saw Mercosur as an opportunity to expand outlets for German industry, particularly the automotive industry. With the collapse of his governing coalition, agricultural businesses feel bereft of leadership. The German Farmers’ Association (DBV) calls for the agreement to be urgently renegotiated, fearing the “replacement of domestic production with imports compliant with the standards of the last century, to the detriment of consumers, farmers, animals, the environment and the climate “, explained Joachim Rukwied, president of DBV.
Giorgia Meloni at the G20: the “parallel convergences” with Lula and Milei
Even if no official demonstrations are on the agenda, it is possible that the tractors will converge on the Franco-German border. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was in favor of concluding negotiations for Mercosur, but resistance persists in the Iberian agricultural world, in particular from farmers. The Assaja association denounced an “obsolete and inconsistent” agreement. According to Agriculture Minister Luis Planas, some strategic sectors such as wine and olive oil would benefit from the treaty, while he admitted that others, such as beef production, could be affected.
The fears of Italian farmers about Mercosur
While Giorgia Meloni was flying to Rio de Janeiro, heading to the G20 summit in Brazil, Coldiretti wrote to her to express her “deep concern” about Mercosur, speaking of “devastating effects on the agri-food sector”. The agricultural association highlighted the difference in production standards. “In the Mercosur area, there are much less stringent rules than those in Europe on the use of chemical substances and production techniques. Just think of the fact that Brazil has quadrupled the use of pesticides in the last twenty years. Furthermore, these are substances which use active ingredients that are often banned in the European Union”, reads the letter. Although demonstrations are not expected in the Peninsula immediately, some agricultural associations believe that accelerating the signing without further precautions could bring agricultural producers, already brought to their knees by floods and drought, back onto the streets.
