Brussels/Strasbourg – On Tuesday, thousands of European farmers gathered in Strasbourg to express their dissatisfaction with the EU’s trade agreement with the Mercosur group and to put pressure on Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who are meeting in Strasbourg. The Slovak delegation at the protests is led by the president of the Slovak Chamber of Agriculture and Food Industry Andrej Gajdoš, the TASR correspondent reports.
The protest in Strasbourg was initiated by the largest French farmers’ union (FNSEA). The FNSEA Secretary General Hervé Lapie stated in a message to the media that 600 to 700 tractors had arrived in Strasbourg and that a total of around 4,000 farmers from many EU countries, most of them from France, were expected to take part in the protests.
The protesters met with several MEPs, and the French ones want to stay in Strasbourg until Wednesday (21 January), which was also confirmed to TASR by Andrej Gajdoš. He said that after marching through the city, the farmers reached the vicinity of the European Parliament, where the main speeches were delivered and where there were also minor clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.
When asked how strong the protection guarantees are that the European Commission has provided to European farmers and that were also conveyed by the European Commissioner for Trade Maroš ŠefčovičGajdoš said that these guarantees are insufficient not only for Slovak but also for European farmers. Including financial compensation, because it is not clear whether the European Commission intends to provide financial compensation for the next 20–30 years, or whether it is to be only for one year “to silence us.”
“Politicians will always assure us that everything is fine, but we know it is not. In EU countries, food is produced under completely different standards. Even though food from Mercosur crosses an entire ocean, it can still arrive in Europe cheaper than we can produce it at home. Something is not right,” Gajdoš explained. He added that most farmers no longer believe political rhetoric and would need clearer guarantees that imports from Mercosur will not destroy the European agri-sector and that consumers will not get food on their plates of lower quality than that from European producers.
Gajdoš pointed out that Slovak producers are most afraid of imports of beef, poultry, eggs and sugar, but soy, corn and ethanol can also be mentioned. In this regard, according to him, European farmers are united.
He added that on Wednesday the farmers will vote to ask the Court of Justice of the EU to examine whether the agreement with Mercosur is in line with other EU agreements. If in a few months the EP ratifies the agreement, it will be up to the coordination of all European farmers and food producers how to proceed further. MEPs will vote on the ratification of the agreement with Mercosur in the coming months.
On Wednesday they are to vote on whether to refer the trade agreement to the Court of Justice of the EU for an examination of its compatibility with the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. If the matter goes to court and the court’s opinion is negative, the trade agreement can only enter into force if it is amended and supplemented. (20 January)
“Even though food from Mercosur crosses an entire ocean, it can still arrive in Europe cheaper than we can produce it at home. Something is not right.” Andrej Gajdoš
