The European Commission paves the way for the final signing of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, this deal sacrifices European farmers, public health, and the environment at the altar of corporate profits.
The Left group in the European Parliament has consistently opposed the EU–Mercosur agreement since the beginning. Our position has not changed: this agreement would sacrifice the future of our farmers, our health and our planet.
The deal will force European farmers to compete with imports produced under weaker labour, health, and environmental standards, threatening their livelihoods and food sovereignty. It risks flooding European markets with products treated with pesticides and farming practices that are banned in the EU, undermining consumer safety and public health.
The EU–Mercosur deal also embodies a profound lack of democracy: once again, trade negotiations have been conducted behind closed doors, sidelining citizens, parliaments, and civil society. At a moment when Europe should be investing in fair trade, local production and sustainable farming, von der Leyen has chosen instead to prioritise corporate interests over people and the planet and continue to do so with the opening of a new trade deal with Mexico.
Left co-President Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise, France) said: “The European Commission has forced this deal through, despite strong opposition from citizens and some Member States, showing complete disregard for democracy. The Commission is deliberately choosing to sacrifice our agriculture in the name of free trade. The agreement will significantly increase the unfair competition faced by our farmers and further undermine European food sovereignty. But that’s far from the only problem: it also poses a risk to our health and animal welfare, since production standards are not the same as those observed in the EU.
Now more than ever, we stand with farmers, labor unions, NGOs, and citizens who refuse to sacrifice our lives on the altar of free trade and the profits of a few multinational corporations.”
Left Vice-Chair of MERCOSUR delegation Luke “Ming” Flanagan (Independent, Ireland) said: “The EU Mercosur deal exposed the utter hypocrisy of the EU in relation to protecting farmers, social standards and the environment. This deal is about opening access to South American Markets for EU Pharma and industrial goods. The deal will lead to the crowding out of sustainable farmers in the EU in favour of imports produced under less stringent climate, social and environmental standards, furthermore, it will encourage the intensification of the animal production sector in both regions, ignoring the reality of overproduction in the EU and Mercosur countries.”
The Left will fight against its implementation by joining forces with The Greens/EFA to request an opinion to the ECJ about the compatibility of the EU Mercosur agreement with the Treaties. At a time when transparency, legal certainty and the defence of the Union’s founding principles are more necessary than ever, we believe it is essential that this agreement undergo a thorough review
