According to Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir, the interests of German farmers are sufficiently taken into account in the planned Mercosur free trade agreement.
“The effects of Mercosur on our agriculture are very manageable,” said the Green politician on Monday before a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels. According to the minister, this was scientifically monitored by the state-owned Thünen Institute.
Sweden, which currently holds the six-monthly rotating presidency of the EU states, has also made it clear that there are also opportunities for European agriculture in exports, according to Özdemir.
The President of the German Farmers’ Association, Joachim Rukwied, recently described the planned agreement as a major threat to farmers who keep pigs, poultry and cattle. Specifically, he spoke of additional import pressure for meat and sugar. Özdemir emphasized that there are clear quotas for what can be imported and exported. “Of course we are committed to the interests of our local farmers,” says the 57-year-old.
The EU has been negotiating with Mercosur – which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – since 1999 for a free trade agreement that would create one of the largest free trade areas in the world with more than 700 million people. The agreement is also on hold in view of the refusal of the previous right-wing President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, to protect the climate. Environmental and consumer advocates are opposed to the agreement.
Özdemir emphasized that clear guidelines are needed when it comes to sustainability. The Commission is supported in strengthening this through an additional agreement. “It’s about protecting the rainforest,” said the minister. But it is also about the need for clear mechanisms for verification.
