The Agriculture Ministers of the EU countries expressed their concerns about the free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries on Monday 21 September.
France reiterated its opposition to the draft trade agreement as it stands, between the European Union and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) of July 2019, because of the impact it is estimated to have on the environment (see EUROPE 12563/28).
Other delegations (Spain, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Austria, Italy...) supported the need to provide for compensatory measures for certain sectors (€1 billion in aid had been mentioned by Commissioner Phil Hogan) in the event of an agreement being reached.
At a press conference, German Minister Julia Klöckner emphasised that the EU was not in “the active phase” on the agreement with Mercosur, but was assessing how the partners would implement what had been agreed, particularly on the environmental aspect. “To be honest, I have serious doubts about, for example, what Brazil is doing by burning land to produce food under conditions not allowed in the EU”, she reiterated.
Several ministers (Poland, Denmark, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Romania...) welcomed the EU/China agreement on geographical indications, but considered it necessary, including in the light of Covid-19 restrictions, to improve access to the Chinese market for EU agri-food products. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)