Farmers’ unions across France calling for more protests
As French leader Emmanuel Macron arrives in Brazil for the G20 summit, farmers are going to mobilise across the country to protest against the free trade deal between the European Union and Latin America’s Mercosur bloc, Bloomberg reports
Negotiations on a large-scale trade agreement, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, have been underway for nearly a quarter of a century. France has long been the main opponent of this deal, citing the need to ensure that Mercosur’s competitors adhere to the same health and environment standards as their European counterparts.
“But this time, things are different – as the agreement is nearing the finish line despite French objections. Capitalising on French weakness in Brussels on the back of Macron’s diminished political capital, Germany, Italy and Spain, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have doubled down on getting the accord over the line in a matter of weeks. The EU is aiming to close the deal in early December, according to sources close to the discussions,” the publication reads.
Meanwhile, farmers’ unions have called for a new wave of protests against the deal across France starting Monday, November 18th, saying increased imports of agricultural products from Latin America would hurt their ‘livelihoods’. The trade pact aims to gradually phase out customs duties on 90 percent of goods traded by the two blocs, creating a market of nearly 780 million consumers.
Farmers fear the influx of cheaper food and meat could damage French agriculture.
