Bulgarian Farmers to Protest EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement in Strasbourg

Bulgarian farmers will join the Europe-wide protest tomorrow, January 20, in Strasbourg against the agreement for duty-free trade with the Mercosur countries in Latin America.

Several Bulgarian organisations, such as the National Association of Grain Producers, the Farmers’ Union, and United Livestock Breeders, have spoken out against the trade agreement.

The concern is that it will lead to an influx of cheap agricultural products into Europe, which will undercut local production.

Evgeni Kharamliyski has been producing and exporting wine to international markets, mainly the European one, for over 30 years.

Thirty per cent of his production is for export, while the rest is for the domestic market.

He believes that the duty-free import of wine, especially from Argentina, will flood the European market.

Evgeni Kharamliyski, wine producer and trader:
“It certainly poses a threat that extremely cheap Argentine wines will enter Europe, which in turn will jeopardise our exports. Trade in wine between Bulgaria and the Mercosur countries is extremely limited, so at the moment I do not think this is a threat to our domestic market. But it does threaten our exports to Europe.”

According to the Chair of the Grain Producers’ Branch Chamber, who will be taking part in tomorrow’s protest, the Mercosur agreement is not about free trade but about unfair competition.

Iliya Prodanov, Chair of the National Association of Grain Producers:
“Because European producers manufacture their products at a completely different cost price, due to entirely different requirements – environmental, administrative, social, and in terms of working conditions. Working conditions in Europe, as you know, are much stricter, environmental standards are much higher, and the plant protection products we are allowed to use are very limited.”

Grain producers fear that not only cheap wheat, maize and soya, but also related products such as poultry and beef will flood the European markets.

The Mercosur agreement is due to be voted on by the European Parliament, and subsequently by the parliaments of the respective member states.