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Wednesday, 27 November 2024
Read full issueAROUND THE WORLD
Poland is opposing the EU-Mercosur freetrade agreement with South America on the basis of unfair competition for EU farmers and good makers, Reuters reports. The EU country argues the agreement will allow for an influx of imports not bound by the same strict regulation faced by Polish farmers. Poland has blocked the Medyka border crossing with Ukraine in protest. “Poland does not accept, and we are not alone, we will not accept in this form the agreement with the countries of South America,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
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France has been on the opposition train: France is leading the opposition within the EU — alongside Austria, and the Netherlands — and has called the European Commission to renegotiate the agreement by incorporating “mirror clauses" which could impose identical standards on products traded between the two blocs.
REMEMBER- What is the EU-Mercusor? The EU and the Mercosur bloc of South American nations have been looking to complete a long delayed trade treaty by early December. Brussels has been working to finalize negotiations before Brazil’s Mercosur presidency ends on 7 December, while Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has warned that Mercosur could back out of the agreement if the treaty is not finalized by 6 December.