French farmers held a protest on tractors in front of the Versailles Palace against a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the South American common market (Merkosur), which is at the stage of statement. Versailles, located about 20 kilometers from the capital of Paris.
farmers who came to their tractors to the historical Versailles Palace, demanded to abandon the agreement between the EU and Merkosur, which, in their opinion, would lead to unfair competition. And they formed a column in the city from their tractors.
European farmers, primarily the French, oppose the free trade agreement, which provides for the abolition of most customs duties on goods and products used between the EU and Merkosur, as well as a decrease in customs duties assumed. Merkosur from cars, machines, chemical and medical products of the countries of the Union.
as part of the farmers agreement, claiming that agricultural products whose imports are simplified from South America do not comply with European standards, express the concern that products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides and growth horms that are very much very The sensitive theme for the EU agricultural sector will be freely circulating in the Union, creating a threat to public health.
In addition, they note that the agreement is beneficial for South American farmers, since there are more flexible sanitary and environmental norms in the Merkosur countries, and the cost of labor in agriculture is lower.
farmers claim that they claim that South American products that will enter the market, where a number of protective measures are used, from the use of chemicals in agriculture to carbon emissions, as in the EU, will lead to unfair competition in relation to local products.
the EU and Merkosur began negotiations on the conclusion of a free trade agreement in 2000, and after almost 20 years of negotiations, the parties announced the achievement of the agreement In 2019.
However, the agreement did not enter into force, since the process of signing and ratification was not completed.