Regulation introducing the so-called The “emergency brake” was proposed by the European Commission in response to concerns of EU farmers and some Member States about the impact of the Mercosur agreement on local producers. This mechanism is expected to be not only faster, but also easier to apply than similar solutions in previous trade agreements.
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Agreement with Mercosur. Poland's amendments accepted
One of the key elements of the adopted project is: lowering the threshold for triggering the protection clause from 10%. up to 5 percent import growth. As MEP Dariusz Joński (KO) emphasized, this change will allow for faster reaction in a situation when the inflow of cheap products from Mercosur begins to harm European producers.
“We have proposed that the European Union could immediately activate the protection clause in the event of a sudden increase in imports, which lowers prices and harms European farmers. We have also expanded the list of sensitive products to include class A and B eggs, which will be subject to special protection. – said Dariusz Joński.
See also: Why are farmers afraid of the agreement with Mercosur? “The devil is in the details”
MEP Krzysztof Hetman (PSL) also expressed satisfaction with the voting results. He pointed out that Thanks to the adopted amendments, the reaction time of the European Commission to an increase in imports will be shortened from 24 to 14 days.
“It is an undoubted success, because a large part of our proposals were accepted. Thanks to this the interests of Polish farmers and entrepreneurs will be better secured – said Krzysztof Hetman.
He added that MEPs intend to re-table amendments that did not obtain a majority because some of them lost by just one vote.
Agreement with Mercosur. What next steps?
The position of the Committee on Foreign Trade will now be voted on during the plenary session of the European Parliament. The European Commission hopes to finalize the agreement with Mercosur during the summit scheduled for December 20 in Brazilwhich will be attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. In her opinion, the agreement will bring significant benefits for the European industry, including the automotive sector.
See also: For and against the Mercosur agreement. Six things good to know
Full approval of the agreement requires the support of a qualified majority in the EU Council – which means the votes of 15 member states representing 65%. population of the Union. Poland and France remain the most critical of the agreement. To block them, it would be necessary to create the so-called blocking minority, which requires the consent of four member states.
