Poland's agriculture ministry records 'reservations' over Mercosur deal

Poland's agriculture ministry has registered reservations about the Mercosur agreement in a public statement suggesting the trade deal would imperil its agricultural sector and particularly poultry.

“The Ministry of Agriculture has serious reservations about the outcome of the European Commission's negotiations with the Mercosur countries,” the ministry statement said.

Despite the deal having the potential to bring benefits to the industrial sector, maritime transport and some services, the impact on Poland’s meat industry and some other agricultural products could be problematic, the note added.

The Polish ministry of agriculture is particularly concerned that poultry imports under Mercosur will hit Polish farmers hard.

The deal between the EU and Latin American countries - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – aims to create a free trade zone between the two blocs by lifting trade barriers such as tariffs. Trade volumes are however being negotiated for sectors identified as sensitive for either party, including Poultry.

The agreement currently provides for 180,000 tonnes of imported poultry to be imported into the European market after six years of gradual entry into force of the agreement, according to the Polish ministry. An EU official said that this would correspond to 1.4% of total annual EU poultry production.

Although the current negotiations provide for a warning system in the event of market imbalance due to excessive imports from Latin America, the mechanism is “ill-suited” to the agricultural sector, the Polish ministry considered. “Activating this mechanism at EU level may be difficult in practice,” it added in the statement.

This statement will please France, which has led opposition to the Mercosur