Brussels, 11/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - In a debate in plenary session on Tuesday 10 May, a large number of MEPs reaffirmed their support for the free-trade negotiations taking place between the EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) but made clear that European agriculture had to be protected.
“We have to take advantage of the political changeover in Argentina to make progress. We have missed a great many opportunities for our two markets over the last ten years. There are differences in the offers but these represent no more than 10% of all that is being negotiated. Where the will exists, possibilities also exist. Let us not waste any more time. The EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement must be made a reality”, said Santiago Fisas Ayxela (Spain) on behalf of the EPP Group. “It must be ensured that our interests are protected in the particularly sensitive areas”, stressed his fellow group member Daniel Caspary (Germany). For the French EPP delegation, Tokia Saïfi, Michel Dantin and Frank Proust insisted that agriculture must not be seen as a bargaining chip and they called for a review of the negotiating brief, which dates from 1999.
Speaking for the S&D Group, Nicola Danti (Italy) and Francisco Assis (Spain) also called for the “opportunity to be seized” finally to conclude an agreement with the South American bloc before it turns to other partners, such as North America or Asia. “The agreement must contain tariff reductions and also the removal of non-tariff barriers. The Commission needs to show ambition and caution in taking account of our industry's most sensitive sectors”, stated Danti.
On behalf of the ECR Group, James Nicholson (UK) welcomed the Commission's last minute removal of import tariff quotas for beef from the EU offer, and called for the pigmeat and poultry sectors to be similarly protected.
“We must finally open negotiations with the world's fourth largest trading bloc. It is unbelievable that the EU does not already have a trade agreement with major economies, such as Brazil and Argentina. At last we have the political momentum needed to be able to make progress after years of inaction and we have to take full advantage if it”, said Dita Charanzova (Czech Republic) for the ALDE Group. She called on the EU to “commit itself fully to achieve an ambitious agreement in a reasonable timeframe”.
“We're not against an EU-Mercosur agreement but our agriculture must not be forgotten. There is the risk of a 70% increase in our pork imports. And rules on agriculture in South America are less strict. Yes, to an agreement that brings mutual gains but no to one that threatens our agriculture”, stated Tiziana Beghin (Italy) for the EFDD Group.
Speaking for the GUE/NGL Group, Helmut Scholz (Germany) highlighted “the need for a new mandate”. “Our farmers are deeply worried”, he said.
On behalf of the Greens/EFA Group, José Bové (France) urged “a stop to all current free-trade negotiations which always have agriculture as a bargaining chip. More than 100,000 jobs would be lost if these import agreements were to happen. We are worried about the EU-Mercosur agreement. At the minute, we are facing crises in the poultry, beef and pork sectors and we still want to open our borders!” he raged.
Georg Mayer (Austria), speaking for the ENF Group, said he was rather unhappy about an EU-Mercosur agreement, laying emphasis on this “very difficult period” that the beef, pork and milk markets are going through in his country and across Europe. “The position of farmers is especially critical. They should be at the heart of our interests”, he said. “The agricultural standards in force in the Mercosur countries are far from ensuring the minimum level of security that we have in Europe, with massive use of antibiotics and hormones. With the EU-Mercosur treaty, the entire European agricultural industry would be put in danger”, warned his French colleague Edouard Ferrand.
Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström made great play of the benefits that would accrue from an EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement, which would bring annual savings of €4 billion in customs duties. “The exchange of offers has been prepared with great care”, she said, stating that the Commission had taken account of the findings of the two impact studies on the agriculture sector carried out in 2011 in tailoring the EU offer. “The EU and the Commission are keenly aware that there are very strong offensive interests from Mercosur but there are also defensive interests in the agricultural sector”, she added, promising a new impact study on sustainability, the economic impact and human rights, along with a study on the cumulative effect of free-trade agreements on agriculture. When market access offers were exchanged on Wednesday 11 May (see other article) (see EUROPE 11547), Malmström gave assurances of Mercosur's willingness to improve its offer in the course of the negotiations. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)