On Wednesday in Brussels, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy stated that Hungary does not support the EU-Mercosur or any other Brussels trade agreements that cause harm to farmers. He emphasized that the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has already caused significant harm to EU farmers and that swift interventions are needed to address new problems arising from the trade agreements planned for next week.
Following the meeting of EU agriculture ministers, the Hungarian politician highlighted that the draft EU budget for the next seven years allocates less funding for agricultural support—potentially a 20 percent reduction—and that the creation of a unified fund would effectively dismantle the independent Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Minister Nagy stressed that food security cannot be treated as a political game. Hungary supports the measures taken by Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, that aim to guarantee EU food security through stricter border controls. He underscored that
the Mercosur agreement should include the principle of mutual equivalence, so that only food meeting EU quality and safety standards can enter the Union, protecting the interests of both farmers and EU citizens.
On Thursday, the minister also spoke on news channel M1’s morning program against the EU trade agreement plans. He pointed out that food from South American countries does not meet strict European production and quality standards, and therefore the agreement would have negative consequences for EU farmers.
In the Kossuth Radio program Good Morning, Hungary!, the minister also warned that if agricultural funds were consolidated into a large fund, they would compete with cohesion policy, leaving local mayors to decide whether to build roads or provide investment support for farmers.
He emphasized that the Visegrád countries (V4) collectively defend farmers’ interests against Brussels. Nagy noted that the V4 insists that only agricultural products meeting the same quality standards and animal welfare requirements as those produced in the EU should be allowed into the Union.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has announced that
Hungary will vote on Friday against the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement.
The politician stated on X that the European Commission is pushing a deal that would open Europe to unrestricted imports of South American agricultural products, putting the livelihoods of Hungarian farmers at risk. “We oppose this decision, as Brussels is once again ignoring the interests of our farmers,” he wrote.
Related article
Thousands of Farmers Protest in Brussels Against EU-Mercosur Trade Deal
European farmers rally in the Belgian capital, demanding that the EU halt the controversial Mercosur agreement, citing environmental, economic, and social concerns.Continue reading
Via MTI, Featured image: X/István Nagy
The post V4 Countries Defend Farmers’ Interests against Brussels appeared first on Hungary Today.
Source link
With joint effort, we defend the farmers’ interest.
We fight hand in hand to protect the farmers’ competitiveness and the EU funds they are entitled to.… pic.twitter.com/qTDqiy7GoN
