Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
THOUSANDS OF farmers from all over Spain protested in Madrid following the EU’s landmark agreement with a group of South American nations.
More than 350 honking tractors rolled down the capital’s main thoroughfare, Paseo de la Castellana, as protesters waved placards reading ‘the Spanish countryside is not for sale’ on Wednesday.
After an hour-long traffic standstill, the 2,500 protesters ended their march by the Ministry of Agriculture.
READ MORE Spain’s right-wing PP makes surprise call for La Linea to be included in Costa del Sol train line – as removal of border with Gibraltar set to create 100,000 conurbation
The organizers expressed anger at a historic free-trade agreement signed between the European Union, and the Mercosur group, which includes Argentina, Brazil Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Protesters argued that the agreement, signed last month after two decades of wrangling, would bring ‘lower-quality products’ to European consumers and ‘harm fair competition’ in Spain.
Miguel Angel Aguilera is the president of Unaspi, a Spanish agricultural organization.
The agreement would allow for the EU to import agricultural goods and minerals at low tariffs from Mercosur nations, while European nations will be able to export chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and machinery to South America more easily.
Spanish farmers fear that they will be unable to compete with lower-priced agricultural imports from Mercosur.
READ MORE Brussels is worried that Pedro Sanchez’s plan to legalise a half-million irregular migrants will push illegal immigration throughout Europe
Protester Justo Ortiz Trapote told Bloomberg“We do not oppose competition but we demand that food produced in other countries be produced to the same standards as those required by us.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told parliament the deal was ‘extraordinary news’ for Europe – but also promised compensation for affected farmers, adding imports would be restricted if domestic producers were harmed.
Vox, the far-right Spanish party, gained popularity among Spanish farmers in recent years after it repeatedly criticized Sanchez and PSOE for perceived inaction on behalf of the agricultural sector.
READ MORE Pedro Sanchez has a new ally in the next room after Portugal elects a socialist president
According to estimates by economists, the trade deal could enable shoppers in Spain save up to 30 percent on products like beef, poultry and sugar.
The Spanish Federation of Consumers and Users has warned, however, that some South American imports could be produced under less strict food safety regulations. This could pose health risks to consumers.
While some Spanish products such as olive oil and wines could benefit from increased export opportunities, others, like locally produced meat and bee honey, may face more competitive pressure which could reduce the consumer’s choice.
In recent years, farmers in France and Poland also protested. They expressed similar concerns to those of the Spanish farmers that this agreement could harm parts of Europe’s agriculture sector.
The Olive Press has more Politics News. Click here to view it.
