The European Commission has decided to sign a trade agreement with South American countries (MERCOSUR) and the consequences of this move can be compared to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
"The European Commission's decision on September 4 shows that President Ursula von der Leyen seeks to sign the deal at all costs. She ignored all the voices of the opposition. This agreement is very harmful to Polish farmers, Europeans and consumers," said former Polish Agricultural Minister Robert Telus.
He compared the deal to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project in the agricultural sector. What he wants to emphasize is the EU's dependence on one supplier.
The Nord Stream pipeline system consists of two double pipelines capable of transporting 110 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe each year. The Nord Stream pipeline pair began operation in 2011 while the Nord Stream 2 pipeline pair was completed in 2021, but has never received an operating license. The Nord Stream sabotage in September 2022 broke two Nord Stream pipelines and one branch of Nord Stream 2. The unpected branch of Nord Stream 2 is still filled with gas.
"Fod security is no less important than military and energy security. We have said for many years that an energy security policy based solely on Russian gas is dangerous for Europe. reality has proven us right. Now, we are also strongly stating that MERCOSUR's policy of dependence on products is a deadly threat to European agriculture. This is a timing bomb placed in our food security," the former Polish Agricultural Minister added.
He noted that South American farmers do not have the same production standards as EU farmers. "As European and Polish farmers, we will not be able to compete with food products, which have much cheaper production costs," added Robert Telus.
Previously, Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski - another former Polish Agricultural Minister - also opposed the EU's trade deal with South American countries. He said the European Commission is interpreting the climate crisis in its own right, as if it were saying that no Latin American country was on the list of "high risk of deforestation".
"When it comes to tightening European farmers, they described it as if the planet was on fire. But when we have to protect the interests of international corporations that own the Latin American crop, there are no longer any environmental problems," he said.
