Strasbourg, 21/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - While calling for vigilance on consumer protection, animal welfare and environmental protection standards, Parliament backed the resumption of negotiations on an EU-Mercosur free trade agreement.
The own initiative report by Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL,Germany) on trade relations between the EU and Latin America, adopted by 414 votes to 76, with 23 abstentions, in Strasbourg on Thursday 21 October, calls unequivocally for the resumption of trade talks between the EU and the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Venezuela in the course of joining the block), which were re-opened this year. Parliament calls for only those agricultural products which meet European consumer protection, animal welfare, environmental protection and minimum social standards to be allowed into the EU. MEPs also stress the need for a prior study of the impact of an agreement, which some estimates say could increase meat imports into Europe by up to 70% in the case of beef and 25% in that of poultry. These imports are “cheaper because of less stringent sanitary, environmental and social standards” in South America, say MEPs.
Similarly, in the wider context of agreements between the EU and Latin American countries, MEPs highlight the “importance of applying environmental, traceability and food security standards to imported agricultural products”. Parliament also calls for clauses on human rights and social and environmental standards to be included. (E.H./transl.rt)