BEAUVAIS, France (AP) — French farmers escalated protests Monday against the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement under negotiation, citing fears of unfair competition. Backed by their government, they argue the deal would threaten their livelihoods by allowing a surge of South American agricultural imports produced under less stringent environmental standards.
In Beauvais in northern France, dozens of farmers with about 50 tractors disrupted traffic before walling up a government office tasked with enforcing environmental standards. The protesters dumped manure and tires in front of the building and moved to the local prefecture, where they set up a noisy camp with firecrackers.
“The government slept on its agriculture, so we won’t let them sleep,” said Régis Desrumaux, 54, head of the FDSEA Oise farmer’s union. ” Last year, we protested for the same reasons: too much paperwork, overly strict norms, not enough help from the state. Now, with unfair competition from South American products boosted with hormones and GMOs, it’s the final straw.”
Armelle Fraiture, a 25-year-old who took over her family’s 300-cow farm in the Beauvais region earlier in the year, expressed concerns about the prospect of South American beef products hitting the French market.
“My partner and I want to do this for the rest of our lives, but we don’t earn much from our farm right now,” said Fraiture, who is a representative of Jeunesse Agricole Oise, a local union for young farmers. “I feel that the horizon is bleak and that our work is disrespected.”
Elsewhere, protesters burned vine stems in Bordeaux and blocked the “Europe Bridge” in Strasbourg. The FNSEA, one of France’s main farming unions, reported over 85 demonstrations nationwide Monday.
Proponents of the agreement argue that it would significantly boost economic ties between Europe and South America by eliminating tariffs on European exports, notably for machinery, chemicals and cars, thereby enhancing market access and creating lucrative opportunities for European businesses.
The EU and the Mercosur trade bloc, composed of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, reached an initial agreement in 2019, but negotiations stumbled due to opposition from farmers and some European governments, particularly France.
“It is unacceptable as it stands,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
But France’s hands might be tied.
There are fears the agreement could be finalized at the G20 summit in Brazil this week, or in the coming weeks. A partial deal, with many of the parts that French farmers find unsavory, could be agreed over their heads since France does not hold veto power.