“We will get underway from Monday.” The head of the FNSEA, the main agricultural union organization in France, called on France Inter on Wednesday for national mobilization. Arnaud Rousseau wants “attract the attention of public authorities“and ask for”support“. “We will be in all departments from Monday for a few days, to make the voice of France heard during the G20 in Brazil.“, he declared, at a time when the country's agricultural sectors fear a potential signing of the free trade agreement by the European Union with Mercosur.
The boss of the majority union in the profession calls for action “in all departments“against the agreement which”risks having dramatic consequences for agriculture“. “We are not here to annoy the French. What we want is to attract the attention of public authorities“, assured Arnaud Rousseau. As a reminder, Mercosur is a proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and five South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia). It will potentially be signed during the G20 in Brazil which takes place on November 18 and 19. For the president of the FNSEA, Europe must not be a “strainer” et “cannot import products that do not meet any of our standards”.
“We don't target highways“, specified the representative of the majority agricultural union, adding that the objective of this mobilization was not “to block“is”to starve” France. He added that the actions planned as part of the mobilization will be detailed later in the day, during a press conference in the afternoon.
600 French parliamentarians sign a letter to say no to Mercosur
On Tuesday, more than 600 French parliamentarians (deputies, senators and European deputies), from several parliamentary groups, sent a letter to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, to reiterate their opposition to Mercosur. “We cannot imagine, Madam President, that you could take the initiative of a vote in the Council and in Parliament against the democratic expression of the almost unanimity of French parliamentarians“, write the elected officials ranging from the PCF to the LR senators, via the PS, the Ecologists, Renaissance, Liot, MoDem, Horizons, and the UDI, in this letter at the initiative of the environmentalist senator Yannick Jadot. The LR deputies , LFI and RN have not signed.
“We also cannot conceive of the Commission and the Council siding with the opposition of France, the great founding country of the Union.“, they add, warning: “Such a situation would undoubtedly generate a democratic explosion in our country which is already under the political threat of anti-European populism.“. The Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard said on Sunday that she was convinced that this free trade agreement would not be “not signed” in Rio de Janeiro. In this letter, the parliamentarians recall the “ditch“that exists between the two economic zones, whether in terms of environmental, health and animal welfare standards. Which”presents a serious health risk for European consumers” et “constitutes unfair competition for our agricultural producers“.
