Opponents of the trade agreement are stepping up their efforts to make their voices heard as talks continue between the EU and Mercosur to try to conclude and announce an agreement at the G20 leaders’ meeting on 18 and 19 November. Alongside the plenary session of the European Parliament, the Greens/EFA and The Left groups reiterated their view of the negative implications of the agreement. The co-president of The Left, Manon Aubry, called for a debate on the subject to be held this week in Strasbourg, without success.
The news in the media that the Commission is considering creating a compensation fund for farmers penalised by the trade agreement (see EUROPE 13507/4) does not reassure representatives of the agricultural sector either. The Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the European Union (Copa) and the General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU (Cogeca) believe that such a fund will not solve the problems of the agreement. This “can only be seen as a provocation”, said Copa-Cogeca.
On the other hand, the EPP continues to defend the agreement, which it considers essential. “This also applies to the agricultural sector, which will have access to an entirely new market. For sensitive products, carefully calibrated tariff quotas and European geographical indications will guarantee a level playing field. In addition, if there is a risk of market disruption, there will be a range of support measures for farmers”, Swedish MP Jorgen Warborn told Agence Europe. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)