Hungary continues to oppose the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which threatens farmers’ livelihoods and food security, said Minister István Nagy at an informal meeting of European Union agriculture ministers in Copenhagen on Monday.
The minister recalled that the European Union would conclude the EU-Mercosur trade agreement (whose members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) after nearly two decades of negotiations. The agreement would open up a market worth hundreds of millions to European businesses and save billions of euros in customs duties each year. However, the agreement would have a number of negative effects on European agriculture and farmers’ livelihoods, competitiveness, and food security.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Brussels’ opening of the market to Ukraine and the joint entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement would destabilize the entire European agricultural sector,”
added István Nagy.
He explained that as a result of the agreement, unacceptably large quantities of agricultural products that do not meet European production conditions, including plant and animal health requirements, such as poultry, beef, and honey, would enter the EU.
“Hungary continues to insist that products entering the European Union must also comply with EU rules on food produced in the EU, otherwise farmers here will be at a competitive disadvantage, which we cannot allow. But let us not forget that the world’s second and third largest GMO crop producers are Brazil and Argentina, the seventh is Paraguay and the tenth is Uruguay, so the spread of these countries’ crops in Europe and Hungary is contrary to Hungary’s GMO-free strategy,” the minister emphasized.
István Nagy said that the informal meeting of agriculture ministers in Copenhagen also provides a good opportunity for Hungary to continue its search for allies who share a similar position.
“Fortunately, we are not alone, as Austria, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Romania are also protesting against the agreement. Therefore, in cooperation with these member states, we must do everything we can to protect the interests of farmers,” added István Nagy.
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Via MTI; Featured photo: Pexels
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