Poland Aligns with France to Oppose EU-Mercosur Agreement

Warsaw (Eurotoday) – Poland also objects to the EU-Mercosur free trade deal with South American countries in its current form, joining France in standing against an arrangement European farmers say will expose them to unjust competition.

What are Poland’s main objections to the Mercosur agreement?What is the deal about?

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that Poland will not accept the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) in its current format. The Polish government is meeting to examine a draft resolution drafted by the Ministry of Development and Technology on the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay.

What are Poland’s main objections to the Mercosur agreement?

PM Tusk expressed: “The Council of Ministers voices its opposition to the current results of negotiations with Mercosur in the area of agriculture, in particular to the expansion in tariff quotas for poultry meat at the last stage of the exchange of tariff offers.” He further said that it was a political announcement that Poland would not accept the EU-Mercosur deal in its current form. “We are not alone; many member states have a similar opinion,” Tusk said.

French President Emmanuel Macron already reiterated his objection to a contract with Mercosur as proposed during a visit to Argentina this month. France, the EU’s largest agriculture producer, has been trying to persuade other EU members to form a minority coalition against the deal. Moreover, Farmers say the deal with the Mercosur bloc which includes Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay will initiate unfair competition for EU farmers and food makers as it will permit large imports of products that are not bound by the same strict principles they face in the EU.

What is Brazil’s stance on the Mercosur trade negotiations?

On the other hand, Brazil has been trying to have the EU-Mercosur deal signed by the end of the month while it carries the presidency of the G20. Advocates of the deal, including the EU’s biggest economy Germany, state it will open up more markets for their exports.

What is the deal about?

It seeks to create one of the largest free trade zones in the world, surrounding 700 million people and almost 25% of global GDP. Much like the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade arrangement, its goal is to decrease tariffs and trade barriers, making it more comfortable for businesses on both sides to export goods. For the EU, the deal would signify lower tariffs on products like cars, machinery and chemicals. Mercosur nations would profit from better access to EU markets for agricultural exports such as beef, poultry and sugar. Negotiations started in 1999 and an initial understanding was reached in 2019, but it remains unsettled due to significant resistance, particularly from France and EU farmers.


Comments

One response to “Poland Aligns with France to Oppose EU-Mercosur Agreement”

  1. Jetta Talent Avatar
    Jetta Talent

    Just what we needed—a trade deal that promises to make our farmers cry into their borscht while South American beef floods our markets 🌍🥩. Bravo, Tusk and Macron! Nothing like a good old-fashioned food fight to spice up diplomacy, eh? 😏

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Brussels Aims to Make Europe ‘Smokefree’ – European Parliament Already Has a Plan

Brussels Aims to Make Europe ‘Smokefree’ – European Parliament Already Has a Plan

Brussels’ target to make Europe ‘smokefree’ by 2040 is faltering. High taxes, messy regulations, and a booming market for illegal cigarettes are undermining Europe’s anti-smoking efforts. Lately, though, the European Parliament has begun claiming smokefree successes and falling smoking rates. Has Brussels finally found a route to making its smokefree dream a reality?
For a population to be consi

Read More

Législatives 2027 : l’autre élection capitale

Législatives 2027 : l’autre élection capitale

Et si le futur chef de l’État échouait à obtenir une majorité à l’Assemblée ? La division tripartite de la scène politique va-t-elle perdurer ? Pourquoi les élections législatives préoccupent-elles déjà tous les états-majors politiques ? Anthony Lattier échange avec Elisa Bertholomey et Jason Wiels dans Playbook Paris, le podcast de POLITICO.

Read More

EU Considers ‘Trade Bazooka’ as Tensions Rise Over US Greenland Tariffs

EU Considers ‘Trade Bazooka’ as Tensions Rise Over US Greenland Tariffs

Countries within the European Union are rapidly seeking a unified approach in response to US President Donald Trump‘s threat to implement an additional 10-percent tariff on goods from several European nations starting February 1.
EU leaders are scheduled to gather in Brussels on Thursday following Trump’s warning that eight European nations would encounter increased tariffs until the U

Read More

EU Steel Shield Passes Final Hurdle Ahead of July Launch

EU Steel Shield Passes Final Hurdle Ahead of July Launch

New import quotas and higher duties to replace EU’s expiring steel safeguards on 1 July
The European Union has finalized new steel market protection rules, enhancing its trade defence system just weeks before current safeguards expire. The measures include tighter tariff-free import quotas, increased duties on excess imports, and stricter origin-tracing requirements, aiming to protect the steel

Read More

Roche Upholds German Investment Plans Amid Global Pharmaceutical Market Attention

Roche Upholds German Investment Plans Amid Global Pharmaceutical Market Attention

BERLIN, Germany, June 9 – Eurotoday Newspaper — Global pharmaceutical market developments are drawing attention after Roche reaffirmed its commitment to investment projects in Germany despite spending adjustments announced elsewhere in the healthcare sector. The decision has been viewed by industry observers as a sign of confidence in Europe’s largest pharmaceutical economy and in the long-term o

Read More

Thousands of Farmers Demonstrate Against Mercosur Deal Outside EU Parliament

Thousands of Farmers Demonstrate Against Mercosur Deal Outside EU Parliament

Strasbourg, France – On Tuesday, thousands of European farmers gathered in Strasbourg to protest the European Union’s free trade agreement with the Latin American Mercosur bloc.
Local officials reported approximately 5,000 protesters and several hundred tractors participated in the demonstration, coinciding with a plenary session of the European Parliament taking place that week.
EU lawmake

Read More

Turkey and Australia to Advocate for Global Electrification Goal at UN Climate Summit

Turkey and Australia to Advocate for Global Electrification Goal at UN Climate Summit

“This ‘35% by 2035’ target will be a key focus of our COP31 presidency,” he stated. “We aim to form a robust global coalition committed to achieving this goal.”
The plans are included in the summit’s action agenda, intended to coordinate voluntary climate efforts, not the formal negotiations needing the consensus of almost 200 attending governments.
Some action agenda eleme

Read More

Spain’s Constitutional Court Safeguards Reporting of Psychiatric Violations

Spain’s Constitutional Court Safeguards Reporting of Psychiatric Violations

Spain’s Constitutional Court has dismissed an appeal by the Spanish Society of Psychiatry challenging a Supreme Court decision that supported the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and its Spanish branch. This decision upholds a significant judgment favoring freedom of expression and public oversight in psychiatry.
According to CONFILEGAL, the Constitutional Court declined an “amparo

Read More

Concerns Rise Over Tyre Lebanon Evacuation After 2026 Israeli Warning

Concerns Rise Over Tyre Lebanon Evacuation After 2026 Israeli Warning

TYRE, Lebanon , June 9 – Eurotoday Newspaper — Tyre Lebanon evacuation concerns intensified after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning covering parts of the historic southern Lebanese city, including neighborhoods with significant Christian populations. The announcement prompted residents to assess their options as uncertainty grew over possible military activity in the area.
The war

Read More

German Chancellor Criticizes EU Parliament for Legal Review of Mercosur Trade Agreement

German Chancellor Criticizes EU Parliament for Legal Review of Mercosur Trade Agreement

Davos, Switzerland (dpa) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticized the European Parliament for taking the disputed EU free trade agreement with four countries from the South American Mercosur bloc to court.
“I regret that the European Parliament has placed another hurdle in our path,” Merz stated to political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. “However,

Read More