The trade pact between the European Union (EU) and the South American bloc Mercosur (comprising Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) is seen as an opportunity for certain industrial sectors, but it represents a significant risk for Spanish agriculture and livestock farming. This concern is especially palpable in the Girona regions, where farming is a fundamental pillar of the real economy and territorial identity.
The main criticism focuses on the disparity in production requirements. European farmers and ranchers must comply with the world's strictest regulations regarding health controls, animal welfare, environmental limitations, and high energy costs. Opening the door to products from Mercosur countries, where these regulations are much looser, creates a situation of unfair competition.
Free trade only works when the rules of the game are comparable. When they are not, we stop talking about the market and enter into a silent transfer of economic activity to third countries.
Despite the existence of safeguard clauses within the agreement, these mechanisms are considered reactive, slow, and bureaucratic. Experts warn that they arrive too late, after economic damage has already been done, leading to price drops and farm closures. Furthermore, benefits are expected to concentrate in large exporting companies, while losses will affect rural areas already suffering from depopulation and lack of generational replacement.
