This week, European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic initiated the approval process for the free trade agreement reached with Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, at the end of last year. This agreement has the potential to establish the largest free trade zone worldwide, but it poses significant concerns for farmers. The Commission aims to address the doubts of hesitant member states with strong safeguard measures.
In French-speaking Belgium, there has been considerable opposition to the agreement for some time, and the proposed safeguard measures have done little to alleviate these concerns. Walloon Minister of Agriculture Anne-Catherine Dalcq reaffirmed, “Our stance on the EU-Mercosur agreement is clear and has been stated multiple times: we oppose the agreement in its current form.” She expressed disappointment that the agreement lacks a mirror clause to ensure fair competition between European and South American farmers.
The resistance in Wallonia indicates that Belgium will “at the very least” need to abstain when the proposal is presented to trade ministers, Dalcq concluded. It will be noteworthy to observe the positions of other member states. France has spearheaded the opposition, while countries like Poland and Italy have also expressed skepticism. To block the agreement, a blocking minority must be formed by four member states representing at least 35 percent of the EU’s population.
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