Following four days of intense protests, the Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, met with farmers at the Bàscara Town Hall to address the "concerns" generated by the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. Ordeig assured that the Generalitat understands the demonstrators' worries and proposed coordinated action.
“"We are by your side. We need to define what we defend and move forward together."
The Government committed to holding an extraordinary meeting this week with all agrarian organizations to specify policies that minimize the agreement's effects. Proposed measures include the application of mirror clauses (requiring external products to meet the same standards as local ones), border control, safeguard clauses, and the creation of a fund to compensate affected sectors.
Meanwhile, mobilizations continue at key points. Farmers concentrated at the Port of Tarragona announced they would maintain the blockade of access roads for another night, demanding a meeting with the president of the Spanish Government for further guarantees. This Sunday, the protest also spread with a march through the center of Tarragona, starting at Plaça Imperial Tàrraco.
Structurally, Ordeig proposed the creation of the Consell Agrari de Catalunya (Catalan Agrarian Council), a stable dialogue platform to be established after the agrarian elections on February 27. He also promised increased budget allocation to address challenges like drought and ensured the payment of pending aid for health crises such as nodular dermatosis.
