Even before the citizens have had their say, (scandal) plans are already being made in Brussels for what will happen next. They apparently want to quickly conclude the long-blocked and controversial Mercosur trade agreement. This is what a negotiator in Brussels says. Resistance can be expected from Austria.
Rupert Schlegelmilch, Brussels’ top negotiator, toured the four Mercosur states, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay last week to sort out the technical details of the deal. If signed, it would be the EU’s largest deal to date, covering 10 percent of the world’s population and 20 percent of global gross domestic product.
“The agreement lives”
In an interview with a Brazilian newspaper, Schlegelmilch announced that the deal would be sealed in June. This is what the online portal “euractiv.de” writes. The European Parliament elections will take place from 6 to 9 June. “The agreement is alive. The fact is that the committee is still negotiating,” said Schlegelmilch. “We have a mandate from all Member States, including France, to do this,” the Brussels representative emphasized.
The agreement was concluded in 2019. However, ratification was postponed due to environmental concerns and concerns about the impact on the EU agricultural sector. The latter were mainly put forward by France and some other EU countries. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the trade deal dead in January.
Brussels does not want to deviate from the plan
In Brussels they apparently don’t care much about what the population wants and they happily continue negotiating. “I’ll be very honest: right now, with the elections and farmers taking to the streets in many places in Europe, it’s just not a good time. “So we have to wait for the end of the elections,” Schlegelmilch explains.
Farmers fear for their existence
The resistance to Mercosur does not only exist in France. Austrian farmers see the agreement as a threat to their existence and want to avoid it at all costs. “Do we really want to sacrifice our agriculture for an outdated trade agreement?” asks Farmers’ Union President Georg Strasser in the “Krone” to the European Commission.
Trade through the back door
“It appears that the Commission continues to plan an agreement through the back door. But we farmers are not fooled. We have managed to get the current federal government to commit to rejecting the Mercosur trade deal in its current form,” Strasser says belligerently.
Environmentalists warn of catastrophes
Environmental protection groups also strongly reject the pact. “The trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur means one thing above all: corporate profits at the expense of nature, the rural population in South America and farmers in Austria,” warns Greenpeace Europe boss Alexander Egit in an interview with the “Krone”. “Any attempt to conclude the harmful pact must be strictly rejected. The Austrian federal government around Chancellor Nehammer and Vice-Chancellor Kogler must vigorously combat this plan in Brussels,” he demands.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
