After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union officially signed a historic free trade agreement in January with the South American bloc Mercosur (comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Although currently stalled and pending legal review, the treaty aims for the progressive elimination of most tariffs in both directions.
“"Unfair competition without controls will force some farmers to shut down their operations."
This market opening has caused a strong reaction among Catalan farmers, who fear that the massive entry of products like meat and cereals at much lower prices than local ones will make their activity unviable. Esteve Pasqual, coordinator of the Cerdanya Farmers' Guild, states that the primary sector has been used as a "bargaining chip" by the EU.
Joan Vidal, coordinator of the Unió de Pagesos de l'Anoia, emphasizes that the main concern is the inequality of conditions. While European farmers must comply with strict animal welfare and phytosanitary regulations, imported products could enter without the same controls. This situation, combined with internal issues like increasing bureaucracy and animal diseases, has made the Mercosur agreement feel like "the final straw."
