While there has been a new step, Brussels tries to convince France in the spiny archive of the UE-Mercosur trade agreement. The European Commission officially submitted to the Member States the text of the vast trade agreement between the European Union and the South American countries of Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), making a gesture towards Paris promising “solid guarantees” to protect the farmers of the old continent.
The European Executive, encouraged by Germany, Spain and Portugal, pushes the twenty -seven to quickly approve the commercial agreement with the four Mercosur countries. Until now, France has led a slicer against the text “in the current state” and claimed adjustments to protect the agricultural sectors exposed to the South American competition, winning some neighbors, mainly Poland, to try to block it through a locking minority.
“Exceptional circumstances”
If France does not have the power to oppose him alone, even with the support of Poland, it remains a shameful stone on the road to the EU-Mercosur agreement, especially because French reticence is added to the protests of farmers everywhere in Europe. To obtain the approval of Paris, Brussels has published the safeguard measures card, theoretically provided by the commercial treaty, which will have to protect “sensitive European products”, that is, beef, sugar and birds.
“We listened carefully to our farmers and member states,” said the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von Le Leyen on Wednesday, Wednesday afternoon.
Chapter 9 of the text entitles both parties to use “safeguard measures” in case of “exceptional circumstances”, that is, a strong increase in imports, from South America to Europe, from our side of the Atlantic, it is likely that “it causes serious damage” to the national production of one or more Member States. This would worry, for example, a large amount of Argentine flesh at a lower price than suddenly would go to the French market.
Price drop, increase in arrivals
The objective of these safeguarding measures is to offer a respite to destabilized producers by reducing import imports. If they are really registered in the EU-Mercosur agreement, a “legal act” is necessary to “activate” chapter 9 and that may be totally operational within the European Union. This Wednesday, the European Commission undertakes to present this legal act that activates the safeguarding clauses provided by the treaty.
According to Brussels promises, this document would be carried out to “closely follow” the evolution of prices and imports to identify the risks in advance, as well as to open a “without delay” survey at the request of a Member State “when sufficient evidence”, for example, an annual increase of more than 10% of the imports of a product of South America in the South America if in parallel, the import price is less than 10% Europe.
In the case of a request for intervention of a Member State, the provisional safeguard measures would be applied within five days, before a final conclusion of the survey within four months. If the survey confirms the damage, the implementation of the safeguard measures would result in a suspension of the calendar of customs tasks or a decrease in preferential customs tasks in the basic tax or the most favored nation clause (NPF).
As presented by Brussels, these safeguard measures would apply to “sensitive” agricultural products subject to reduced customs tasks, poultry, beef, sugar, rice, honey and ethanol. They could be applied for a maximum duration of four years.
Convince France again
The addition of these provisions through legal law will require the green light of the European Parliament and the European Council, but will not force Europeans to renegotiate the text with their Mercosur partners, which will still have to be reassured, never hide their concern about a possible violation in the balance found by the two parts last December. It remains to be seen if these safeguard measures will fulfill their main mission: reassure France.
Considering itself a “new element” obtained “by the initiative of France”, the French Minister of Agriculture declared Wednesday night with the press “keeping the same position” on the EU-Mercosur agreement “because some of our agricultural sectors cannot [en] Be the adjustment variable “.” These new guarantees must be completely operational “and” applicable in the field, “said Annie Ginevard with caution, calling them to accompany them with” mirror measures. “
The government still “needed to analyze this safeguard clause,” said government spokeswoman Sophie Primas, before the day after the Council of Ministers.
Source: BFM TV
