Mercosur Agreement: Peasant protests against impending competitive disadvantages!

Mercosur Agreement: Peasant protests against impending competitive disadvantages!

The EU Mercosur Agreement in Austria ensures a continuing political debate. Economic Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP) supports the free trade agreement, which is to be concluded between the EU and the Mercosur states of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. However, this encounters sharp resistance, especially on the part of the FPÖ. The FPÖ general secretary Michael Schledlitz described the agreement as an attack on the local farmers and represents the FPÖ as the only political force that defends the interests of the farmers. (5min.at) Many fear that the competition for Austrian farmers drops and compliance with EU standards for imports is.

Opinions about the Mercosur Agreement are strongly shared in Austrian politics. The Lower Austrian Bauernbund criticizes and calls for uniform standards for imported products, while Agriculture Minister Norbert Tettschnig and the president of the ÖVP farmers' association, Georg Strasser, also argue against the agreement. (the press) In contrast, economist Harald Oberhofer sees positive effects for economy and consumers. The NEOS are the only political party that supports the agreement and emphasizes the economic opportunities.

On the other hand, the SPÖ also expresses criticism of the agreement, since it associated it with a reduction in employee rights and ecological problems. The Greens warn that the transport routes of agricultural products could contribute to the destruction of the rainforest, while the Chamber of Agriculture denounces the unequal standards between the EU and the Mercosur countries. (The press)

international standards and sustainability

A central concern is compliance with the European environmental standards and animal welfare regulations. The planned trade agreement encounters concerns, in particular over 50 European farmers and cooperative associations that warn of the negative effects on European agriculture. In an appeal to leading EU politicians, these organizations emphasized that the agreement should not be at the expense of European standards.

The President of the Burgenland Chamber of Agriculture, Niki Berlakovich, handed this appeal personally to the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture István Nagy. In view of the differences between the production methods of the EU and the Mercosur states, many domestic farmers fear that an inadequate agreement could lead to competitive disadvantages. Especially the cheaper production costs in the Mercosur countries could tempt cheap meat from South America to the European market. (meatundco.at)