On Friday 27 February, Copa-Cogeca and AVEC, the associations representing European farmers and poultry producers, reacted strongly to the announcement by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to launch the provisional application of the agreement concluded with the Mercosur countries (see other news).
The announcement “could only be perceived by the farming sector (...) as a disregard for the well-founded concerns we have been raising for years”, emphasises Copa-Cogeca.
“These concerns relate not only to increased import volumes, which put pressure especially on sensitive sectors such as beef, poultry, and sugar, but also to persistent asymmetries in production standards, environmental requirements, animal welfare rules, use of plant protection products, and labour standards, on which the EU has obtained no guarantees capable of truly reassuring producers and consumers”.
For AVEC, “implementing a far-reaching trade deal affecting agriculture, food systems and rural jobs before Parliament can decide is, in spirit, a denial of democratic accountability. The Parliament has asked the Court of Justice of the European Union to review legality - implementation must wait”.
The Eucolait association welcomes the decision. “For Europe’s dairy trading community, enhanced engagement and structured cooperation with the Mercosur countries are of strategic importance. The agreement creates meaningful new opportunities for dairy businesses and Eucolait emphasises that operators should be able to benefit from the improved market access conditions without delay”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)