Several 1000 farmers began a two-day protest against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement in Strasbourg on Tuesday close the seat of the European Parliament, which could shortly enter into force. Among them are Poles. Around the EP, farmers set up respective 100 tractors.
The demonstration takes place in the capital of Alsace, due to the fact that this is the office of the European Parliament. On Wednesday, during the plenary session, MEPs are to vote on the proposal to mention the agreement to the EU Court of Justice. If supported, the EU Court will check whether the trade agreement is compatible with the EU Treaties.
Such a decision, however, is improbable to halt the application of the agreement, as the European Commission has already stated that the EP's consent is not required for the agreement to enter into force temporarily. However, the EC has not specified whether it intends to apply specified a way if the contract goes to the TEU for a fewer months.
On Tuesday, farmers set up respective 100 tractors on the streets of Strasbourg close the EP building. They are mostly French farmers who argue the agreement with the countries of South America. Polish farmers besides came to France for demonstrations.
Krzysztof Olejnik of the Lower National Farmers' Protest told PAP in Strasbourg that he besides participated in it, among others, Portuguese, Belgian, Bulgarian, Czech, German and Greek.
– It is inactive possible to block the European Union-Mercosur Agreement. The protest featured passwords relating straight to (the head of the EC) Ursuli von der Leyen, who is – can be said – the parent of this catastrophe, which met Polish and European agriculture. We, as Polish farmers, can besides add a brick here, that is, expectations that we are putting towards the Polish government. I mean to mention the action to the Court of Justice of the European Union said PAP.
In his opinion, "the European Union-Mercosur agreement (...) is pushed by a knee", its effects will be bad for EU agriculture and should so be stopped.
The crowd of protesters see Polish flags alongside the national colours of another EU countries. Farmers besides brought banners with them, with slogans specified as “Stop Mercosur”, “The Mercosur Agreement is simply a line for a farmer” and “Plan von der Leyen will starve Europe”. The police are trying to separate the protesters from the EP building, where Euro MPs are sitting. In any parts of the protest, she utilized force to repel demonstrators. The EP building hears the horn that demonstrators use.
The protest was convened by the largest French trade union of FNSEA farmers and is scheduled to last until Wednesday. The EP authorities have been preparing for a demonstration for respective days. Parliament's territory is fenced off by the police and access to it is subject to additional safety checks.
The European Commission signed a trade agreement with Mercosur on Saturday at Asuncion. The agreement aims to facilitate the movement of industrial and agricultural products between the EU and the South American bloc.
In her speech before signing the agreement, the EC chief said that the agreement had managed to make the largest free trade region in the planet and a marketplace worth almost 20% of global GDP. "The EU is already 1 of Mercosur's main trading and investment partners. This agreement opens the next phase of these relations – she stated on Saturday.
Von der Leyen added that she wanted to guarantee 450 million people in the Union that this agreement is "good for Europe – for each associate State". She stressed that it meant, among another things, more business opportunities, the abolition of duties worth billions of euros, the beginning of public procurement markets.
She besides pointed out that the EC had heard the concerns of EU farmers and acted. – This agreement contains robust safeguards to defend your livelihoods and our delicate agricultural sectors. It creates crucial economical opportunities for many EU agri-food exporters. It protects 350 European geographical indications. This is more than any another EU trade agreement – convinced the head of the EC.
In early January this year, most associate States agreed to sign the agreement; against erstwhile Poland, France, Austria, Ireland and Hungary.
Source: Łukasz Osiński, PAP 
Łukasz Warzecha: Between the lines of the agreements with the Mercosur countries
