French farmers mobilize for protests over EU-Mercosur trade deal

PARIS -- French farmers are mobilizing for widespread protests on Monday targeting the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Backed by their government, they argue the deal threatens their livelihoods by allowing a surge of South American agricultural imports produced under less stringent environmental standards.

Protests are planned nationwide, including gatherings at prefectures and traffic circles. One group blocked a highway south of Paris on Sunday night with tractors, and scattered actions have been held recently leading up to this week's protests.

The European Union and the Mercosur trade bloc, composed of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, reached an initial agreement in 2019, but negotiations stumbled due to opposition from farmers and some European governments, specifically France.

“It is unacceptable as it stands,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who agrees with the logic of the farmers who have fueled the protests.

“It is unthinkable that will we impose particularly tough restrictions on your industrial and agricultural sectors, that we would not demand likewise from our commercial partners, including the Paris climate accords or a number of environmental rules,” he said.

But France's hands might be tied.

The new protests come amid fears the agreement could be finalized at the G20 summit in Brazil on Nov. 18-19, or in the coming weeks. A partial EU-Mercosur deal, with many of the unsavory parts for French farmers, could be agreed to over their heads since France does not hold veto power.

Other nations like Germany and Spain would like to see a far-reaching deal with their South American counterparts.

“There is a certain mythology surrounding Mercosur,” said Spanish Farm Minister Luis Planas Puchades, who argues there is more at stake than just farming.

“Is the European Union interested, at this moment, in closing in on itself?” he asked ahead of an EU farm ministerial meeting on Monday. “Or is it interested, in this particular geopolitical context that we are experiencing, and especially after the North American election, in expanding the network of our trade agreements with third countries to maintain our economic and commercial influence as well? I think the answer is very clear.”

Leading the charge of the new protests are unions like FNSEA and Young Farmers, who oppose provisions such as duty-free imports of beef, poultry and sugar, which they say create unfair competition. Coordination Rurale, a union linked to the far right, has promised an “agricultural revolt,” including food freight blockades beginning Tuesday in Auch and Agen, in southwestern France.

Proponents of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement argue that it would significantly boost economic ties between Europe and South America by eliminating tariffs on European exports, notably for machinery, chemicals and cars, thereby enhancing market access and creating lucrative opportunities for European businesses.

Earlier this year, farmers staged protests across France and elsewhere in Europe, blocking roads and buildings to protest EU regulations and financial problems, demand fairer agricultural policies and oppose the trade agreement.

French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard has publicly opposed the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, citing risks of deforestation and health concerns linked to hormone-treated meat.

In an interview with TF1, she said: “We don’t want this agreement because it’s harmful. It will bring in products, including substances banned in Europe, at the cost of deforestation. It will unfairly compete with our domestic production.”

President Emmanuel Macron has also criticized the agreement unless South American producers meet EU standards.

Farmers say they are further frustrated by a European Commission audit that flagged hormone use in Brazilian beef exports. Their demonstrations aim to pressure the French government and EU officials to block or renegotiate the agreement.