Two of the main agricultural unions in France have announced that they are planning a new wave of protests next month to express their opposition to the trade agreement being negotiated between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur (brings together 5 member states led by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and 5 other countries associate members).
The announcement comes as the two blocs seek to finalize the pact by the end of the year, potentially on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 18 and 19. The French ones farmers oppose the deal because they fear they will lose business if Europe opens its market to cheaper — and perhaps lower-quality — beef and farm products, Politico reports.
“We call on our network to renew the protests from November 15, 2024,” said the presidents of FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs, Arnaud Rousseau and Pierik Horel.
Russo said at a press conference this week that the protests could reach Brussels.
French and European farmers came out earlier this year to express their displeasure over several issues, including the European Green Deal, which led Brussels and the French government to abandon green rules.
France has long been the most prominent opponent of the Mercosur deal, but with Paris’ influence in Brussels not what it used to be, the European Commission and the deal’s backers, led by Germany, see a unique opportunity to finally push the finish line on a deal. , which has been in the making for a quarter of a century.
Publicly, the French government still opposes the agreement. French Agriculture Minister Annie Geneverde reiterated her country’s position at a meeting with her European counterparts on Tuesday, while Trade Minister Sophie Primas told French daily l’Opinion that approving the deal without France’s support would “open a breach in the confidence of the French in Europe. ”
The agricultural sector as a whole believes that the government is not fulfilling all its promises from the previous round of protests, nor is it doing enough to stop the trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc.
“The situation is worse than a year ago … it is developing in all directions,” said farmer Laurence Marandola, spokesman for the left-wing farmers’ union Conféderation Paysanne. The confederation, which also opposes the trade deal, has so far not joined the November 15 protests.
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