European Commission moves to implement controversial Mercosur trade deal, bypassing the European Parliament and ignoring farmers’ voices

The Commission's announcement, made just one day after Argentina and Uruguay advanced their own ratification processes, signals an intent to provisionally apply the agreement without waiting for the conclusion of the EU's democratic and judicial scrutiny. This effectively sidelines both the European Parliament's prerogative to give its consent and the ECJ's forthcoming opinion, an opinion the Parliament itself requested.

European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) strongly condemns this attitude, which puts geopolitical and industrial interests above Europe's farmers, rural communities, and democratic foundations.

"This decision is a profound betrayal," said Morgan Ody, ECVC coordinating member. "The European Commission is actively ignoring the clear demands of farmers and agricultural workers across the continent. It is not just us; they are also dismissing the consensus reached in the Commission's own Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture. This is an affront to European democracy."

The ECVC highlights that the September 2024 report from the Agricultural Strategic Dialogue, the result of a lengthy, consensus-building exercise among all stakeholders in the European food chain, explicitly called for a fundamental reform of EU trade policy. The report clearly stated: "The European Commission must better recognise the strategic relevance of agriculture and food products in trade negotiations, undertake a comprehensive review of its negotiation strategies and review its method of conducting impact assessments prior to trade negotiations. Furthermore, stronger leadership is needed in the reform of the global trade policy framework."

Instead of heeding this call for a sustainable and fair agricultural transition, the Commission appears to be driven by the corporate agenda outlined in the Draghi report. Unlike the inclusive Strategic Dialogue, the Draghi report was not the product of a democratic exercise, nor did it involve such broad consultation with civil society and the agricultural sector.

"Never before has the European Commission been so openly driven by a corporate agenda against its own people, and in this specific case, against its own farmers," the statement continued. "To push forward with a deal that threatens the livelihoods of European farmers and undermines our environmental and food safety standards is an act of immense irresponsibility. This is about putting power and profits before people and democracy."

ECVC calls on the European Parliament to use all means at its disposal to oppose this undemocratic manoeuvre, and on EU member states to respect their citizens' concerns and halt the implementation of this damaging agreement.

ECVC, together with its members, will continue mobilising to stop this implementation.