Concessions to farmers: The path for Mercosur seems clear

Tajani praised the recent measures announced by the EU Commission to support farmers. If the agreement is actually signed next week, the treaty still has to be ratified by the European Parliament.

Austria agrarians on the other hand

The agricultural payments from Brussels are very important for Austria: they make up around half of all funds received, half of them for rural development. “Our farmers ensure people’s supplies every day. To do this, they need a strong CAP (Common Agricultural Policy, note), fair framework conditions and planning security. Anyone who saves on agriculture is saving in the wrong place – namely on Europe’s food supply and on our regions,” explained Agriculture Minister Totschnig in a statement before the meeting.

The CAP needs its own, strong budget: Totschnig clearly rejects the idea of ​​dissolving it into a large EU pool – as originally proposed by the EU Commission. Above all, rural development must remain specifically financed – because that is where Europe becomes noticeable for people, said the Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management: “Without strong agriculture there is no security and no stability – neither for the people nor for the regions.”

Fears of disadvantages from Mercosur

Farmers and their representatives had feared disadvantages from the Mercosur agreement, which has been in negotiations for 25 years. After the planned signing was postponed from December, it is now scheduled for January 12th. Before that, however, the EU states must agree with a so-called qualified majority of countries and the population: Now that the Italian government has now signaled its approval, according to media reports, the EU ambassadors are likely to give their yes to the signature by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at their meeting on Friday.

Austrian representatives are bound to veto the agreement at EU level by a valid parliamentary resolution from 2019. Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) also always referred to this. Austria is likely to vote against or abstain from the vote.

“The serious problems of the EU-Mercosur pact all remain unresolved. That’s why EU-Mercosur remains bad news for the climate, environment and Austrian agriculture. The pact would continue to promote trade in environmentally harmful products such as dangerous pesticides and beef from forest destruction. Food imports from South America will also continue to increase significantly. Neither our environment nor our agriculture must be sacrificed at the altar of free trade,” says Sebastian Theissing-Matei, agricultural expert at Greenpeace, according to the broadcast.