The EU-Mercosur agreement heats up spirits in the coalition. PSD: The signing decided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “an act of treason”. What does the president Nicușor Dan say
The Social Democratic Party, led by Sorin Grindeanu, asks Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan to specify whether he was aware of and whether he approved the mandate of the Romanian representative in COREPER regarding the EU-Mercosur agreement. The President emphasizes that Romania's agriculture is protected.
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Romania voted in favor of the Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur states. The announcement was made by the president Nicușor Dan, who explained that, “through this Agreement, which will lead to the creation of one of the largest free trade zones in the world, European countries are increasing their presence in an important commercial region, and Romania will thus have the opportunity to export products exempt from the high customs duties that were applied until now”.
“I have been actively involved in recent weeks in negotiations with the other European leaders, so that Romania and the EU have commercial benefits in important economic sectors, but at the same time Romanian farmers and trade in agri-food products are supported. For the sensitive agricultural sectors, we obtained, following successive discussions with the European counterparts, a series of important concessions compared to the initial form of the Agreement.
The agreement with Mercosur provides for the elimination of customs duties for 91% of all products imported from the EU, and Romania will be able to advantageously export products from important sectors such as transport equipment, especially car components, mechanical and electrical appliances and devices, metal products, textile materials.
At the same time, the new Agreement will also generate an increase in service exports from Romania to Mercosur and will increase our country's access to critical raw materials, an essential aspect from a strategic perspective, because it thus reduces dependence on other sources that can use this dependence as a tool of political pressure. The considerable decrease in customs duties on imports also offers opportunities to the Romanian agri-food sector. Among the European geographical indications that will be protected on the Mercosur markets, 15 are Romanian agricultural products”, the head of state also explained.
Our agriculture is protected. This Agreement negotiated by the EU is an opportunity for Romania
“Limitations to liberalization are provided, by limiting the quantities that can be imported at reduced tariffs – for beef a maximum of 1.5% of the EU's annual production, for poultry 1.3%, and everything exceeding these quantities will be imported at the customs tariffs in force today. At the same time, an additional measure of protection has been included by introducing the bilateral safeguard clause, which actually works as a handbrake that can be activated at any time imports of a product suddenly increase and endanger domestic producers.
That is, we trade, but we also protect ourselves when necessary, including by imposing compliance with EU production standards for imported agri-food products. Whether it's pesticides or other substances, everything has to be produced to the EU's high standards to be imported here.
In addition to the content of the Agreement, including as a result of Romania's requests to adopt measures at the EU level to support its own farmers, the European Commission will advance an additional amount of up to 45 billion euros from the flexibility margin for the Common Agricultural Policy. In conclusion, by lowering customs duties, Romania will gain new markets for exports, and our agriculture is protected. This Agreement negotiated by the EU is an opportunity for Romania”, added the president.
PSD accuses “an act of treason”
“The decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to vote for the EU-Mercosur Agreement in its current form represents an act of betrayal of the interests of Romanian farmers. The PSD firmly condemns the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mandate Romania's representative in COREPER to vote in favor of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, in the absence of clear clauses guaranteeing that Romanian farmers will be protected from imports from Latin America”PSD sent in a press release.
The party believes that “this decision represents an act of betrayal of the interests of Romanian farmers, especially given that the PSD Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, has signaled on several occasions that signing the agreement without these guarantees will strongly affect Romanian agriculture”.
The USR Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy approved the Memorandum without taking into account the objections formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture – PSD
“It is outrageous that the USR Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy approved the Memorandum on the EU-Mercosur Agreement, without even consulting with Romanian farmers and without taking into account the objections formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture. PSD requests Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan to state whether he was aware of and whether he approved the mandate received by Romania's representative in COREPER in relation to the EU-Mercosur Agreement“, the party also sent.
In the given context, PSD also announces that it will use “all the existing levers and procedures at the level of the European Parliament to amend the EU-Mercosur Agreement in order to protect the interests of Romanian and European farmers”.
“We cannot have fair competition on the European market if we accept the import of products made without the constraints imposed on European farmers with regard to food safety, environmental protection, animal welfare and the regime of pesticide use,” added the party.
