The mobilization, driven by the Gremi de la Pagesia, placed over a hundred tractors on Catalan roads, aiming to stop the signing of the agreement with Mercosur. Farmers have stated that the protest will continue “indefinitely” until the signing is prevented, warning that decisions made in Brussels “condemn the countryside to disappearance”.
“"Food will arrive from Mercosur made with products that are illegal here. What kind of governments do we have, that use food and the primary sector as bargaining chips."
The protests caused significant cuts on the AP-7 between Figueres and Vilademuls, and on the N-II in the Alt Empordà region. In the Lleida area, blockades were concentrated on the A-2 in Bell-Lloc d’Urgell and Golmés, and access to the Port of Tarragona was also impeded. There were also disruptions at the Coll d’Ares, a site for a cross-border rally with Revolta Pagesa.
The sector demands the implementation of so-called “mirror clauses,” which would require imported products to meet the same sanitary and environmental conditions demanded of local producers. This Friday is a key date for the EU-Mercosur agreement, although its ratification was recently postponed due to doubts from countries like Italy and the blockade by France.
