Mercosur is potential market for Polish agriproducts, says minister
The South American Mercosur block, with which the EU has concluded a trade agreement, will compete with domestic agriculture, while also presenting new export opportunities, Poland's agriculture minister has said.
Warsaw, along with Paris, has opposed the recently signed free-trade agreement with a group of South American countries, known as Mercosur, over fears that the inflow of cheap agricultural produce from across the Atlantic Ocean will depress prices in Poland. Polish farmers, supported by opposition politicians and the president, staged numerous protests across Poland.
Stefan Krajewski, who attended a PAP debate devoted to the EU-Mercosur deal on Wednesday, pointed to the potential benefits of such cooperation, noting that public discourse has, until now, been largely dominated by concerns over its risks.
"I understand the anxieties regarding beef, poultry, sugar, and ethanol, however, one cannot treat all these sectors as one and the same," he said, noting that the European dairy industry represents 32 percent of global production.
Krajewski said that he is in "constant contact" with European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen in order to "open up the Brazilian market to Polish apples, as well as sweets, which are very popular there."
The EU-Mercosur agreement introduces zero or preferential tariffs on imports of agricultural products, including sensitive ones such as beef, poultry, dairy, sugar and ethanol to the EU, in return for Mercosur countries removing most tariffs on pharmaceuticals, cars, and machinery manufactured in the European Union.
Last week, the European Parliament supported a motion to refer the deal to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to assess its compliance with EU treaties. The move is expected to delay a ratification vote in the chamber by at least several months. (PAP)
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