Warsaw (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 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.
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.
