How the PSD Minister of Agriculture motivated the refusal to sign the EU-Mercosur trade treaty/ Romania finally voted for adoption
Florin Barbu, Photo: Inquam Photos / George Calin
The Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, returned the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement unsigned on December 18, citing the opposition of farmers' associations and a possible disruption of the Romanian market as a result of imports from South American countries, according to a document obtained by HotNews.
In the address sent to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy, Barbu stated that Romania's position must be to postpone the decision until greater certainty is obtained regarding the guarantee of fair competition conditions in relation to operators from the Mercosur countries.
Today, EU states approved the trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), despite intense opposition, and Romania was among the states that voted in favor.
“Romania voted in favor of the Mercosur agreement, after, together with other European states, it requested and obtained additional guarantees, aimed at protecting the national markets”, announced the office of the spokeswoman of the Government.
Why was the minister against it?
In the document from mid-December, the minister emphasized that Romanian farmers' associations signaled that the conclusion of the agreement will have a negative impact on some sensitive sectors in Romania, such as beef, poultry, sugar, ethanol, rice and cereals (corn, sorghum), including natural honey. These problems were generated by the fact that Mercosur countries have lower environmental, labor and safety standards.
Production in South American states at lower costs than those in the EU represents unfair competition on the internal market of the union, the minister warned.
“The crisis situations that persist in certain sectors of agriculture at national and European level, especially in the sector of dairy products, of pork, respectively of the sector of fruits and vegetables, require the maintenance of a high degree of protection in the case of similar imports from third countries”, warned the minister.
Instead, “for the Mercosur countries, the Partnership Agreement is much more advantageous, offering export opportunities on the EU internal market, especially in the case of directly competing products for the same EU products, with negative repercussions on the economic interests of farmers”.
Despite the minister's position, on December 19, in Brussels, President Nicușor Dan said that Romania supports the agreement, and in today's vote, November 9, Romania voted in favor of adoption.
This will pave the way for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to sign the deal with Mercosur partners – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The European Parliament will also need to approve the deal before it can come into force.
