Members of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee once again expressed concern on Wednesday 25 September in Brussels about the negative impact on the agricultural sector of the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries (see EUROPE 12331/33). The European Commission has tried to reassure them that, given the expected import volumes, the European market will not be destabilised.
Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italy) and Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy) mentioned in particular the potentially negative effects of the agreement on certain EU sectors (beef, sugar, poultry, fruit and vegetables) and regretted the lack of consultation of the European Parliament. Many MEPs have questioned how the safeguard clauses will work.
Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, Germany) was very sceptical about the agreement and considered that the Commission had not removed the doubts. There is no need, she said, to import more into the EU. “There is no majority in Parliament in favour of this agreement”, she said.
Benoît Biteau (Greens/EFA, France) protested the fact that food is a bargaining chip for sectors such as the automotive industry. Several MEPs criticised Brazil's forest policy. “The agreement does not contain the expected safeguards”, also considered Zbigniew Kuźmiuk (ECR, Poland).
For the Commission representative, John Clark, the safeguard clause provided for is, on the contrary, “very robust”. Moreover, the sugar quota is not a new volume and the beef quota represents only 1.3% of European production. The European institution will publish in early 2020 a cumulative impact study on the effects of the various trade agreements on European agriculture.
Mr Clark nevertheless admitted that the EU had to make considerable concessions, but a balance could be achieved by protecting the most sensitive products in the European agricultural sector (beef, poultry, rice, sugar, ethanol). But the “gradual” tariff quotas (2028 for beef) decided for these products will be controlled. In addition, the Commission pointed out that a safeguard mechanism has been introduced to allow corrective action by reducing tariff quotas in the event of destabilisation of the European market.
The European official also assured that the agreement made it possible to protect the EU's very strict standards on plant protection products, for example. Finally, the sustainable development chapter invites the parties not to reduce environmental or employment standards “to gain a competitive advantage”. Brazil will have to fight illegal deforestation in particular, the Commission representatives assured the representatives of the Commission.
The Commission's formal proposal on the agreement is expected to be presented in the second half of 2020. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)