Poland fails in bid to block EU’s Mercosur trade deal, as farmers protest in Warsaw

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

European Union member states have voted to approve a major free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc, despite Poland, France, Austria, Hungary and Ireland voting against it. However, Poland has said that it still plans to challenge the deal in the EU’s top court.

The Mercosur agreement has aroused particular concern over its possible impact on agriculture. As today’s vote was taking place in Brussels, Polish farmers gathered for their latest protest in Warsaw.

Approval of the Mercosur deal required a so-called “qualified majority” of EU member states, rather than unanimity. Opponents of the deal had hoped that Italy would vote against it, helping create a blocking minority.

But, according to multiple news agencies, only Poland, France, Austria, Hungary and Ireland opposed the agreement. They together represent 29% of the EU’s population, below the 35% threshold required to prevent a qualified majority.

The approval clears the way for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to travel to Paraguay to sign the agreement with Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The agreement eliminates tariffs on most trade between the two blocs.

However, ahead of the vote, EU member states approved a safeguard clause aimed at protecting domestic producers from excessive agricultural imports. The mechanism will be triggered if prices of sensitive products such as beef, poultry or dairy fall by 5%, a stricter threshold than the previously proposed 8%.

Poland’s government has consistently opposed the Mercosur deal and, after today’s vote, deputy prime minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that his country would challenge the agreement at the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Poland “will continue to fight for equal standards for European farmers”, declared Kosiniak-Kamysz. Agricultural producers have argued that the Mercosur deal would result in imports of cheap South American food produced to lower standards, harming European agriculture and consumers.

Today’s vote came as farmers gathered in Warsaw for their latest protest against the agreement. Thousands joined a march through the capital towards the prime minister’s office, carrying banners reading “Stop EU-Mercosur”, “Stop chemicals from Mercosur” and “Don’t kill Polish agriculture”.

While many farmers travelled to Warsaw by tractor, the municipal authorities barred the vehicles from entering the city centre, meaning hundeds of them were left on the outskirts, reported agricultural news service TopAgrar. Farmers also protested in France, Belgium, Spain and Greece on Thursday.

Ahead of the protest, farmers’ representatives met with opposition-aligned President Karol Nawrocki at the presidential palace.

“President Karol Nawrocki assured his full support for Polish farmers and agriculture,” said presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz, quoted by the Interia news website. “He clearly stated that he does not agree to the harmful agreement with Mercosur countries.”

Agriculture minister Stefan Krajewski also said that he was ready to meet the protesters and reiterated that “the government supports the farmers demonstrating in Warsaw on Friday and opposes the Mercosur agreement”, reported online news service Onet.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Dawid Zuchowicz / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is deputy editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She has written for Clean Energy Wire and The Times, and she hosts her own podcast, The Warsaw Wire, on Poland’s economy and energy sector. She previously worked for Reuters.