4 ms·

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/french-farmers-paris-protest-eu-mercosur-trade-deal https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/french-farmers..

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/french-farmers-paris-protest-eu-mercosur-trade-deal https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/french-farmers... has more (but still very little) background on why EU farmers dislike the deal: because it opens EU to agricultural imports, but doesn't require those imports to meet the same standards EU farmers are held to. The Guardian article mentions allowing imports of crops grown with pesticides that are banned in the EU. Basically sabotaging EU farming. There are probably other double standards, but I can only speculate, because the quality of reporting is abysmal. The Guardian gives scant specifics, DW gives none, just meaningless rhetoric like "bases that are too outdated" or "hails 'milestone' agreement".

clickety_clack 10mo ago
I don’t know why you are being downvoted, any small business owner would be mightily annoyed if they had to follow standards that free trade imports do not have to follow. European farming has extremely stringent limits and requirements for food production that are expensive to follow, and not shared with the countries that the deal is being done with.
hermanzegerman 10mo ago
Except that is wrong, and your article doesn't back up your point Any product entering the EU market must comply with the EU’s stringent food safety standards, the agreement does not change that https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/mercosur/eu-mercosur-agreement/factsheet-eu-mercosur-partnership-agreement_en https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-cou... You can also read the whole agreement Online https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/mercosur/eu-mercosur-agreement/text-agreement_en https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-cou...
- like_any_other 10mo ago
  From my article: [France] also sought [but failed to get] permission to ban imports of crops grown with pesticides, which are banned in the EU. So foreign farmers are permitted farming practices forbidden to EU farmers. And now get to compete in the same market.
  - blell 10mo ago
    What’s even worse is that even though France voted against, they will have to receive the imports anyway. This kind of stuff only grows discontent. The EU desires to kill itself I guess.
    - hermanzegerman 10mo ago
      You can't work out sensible deals, if a single country can throw a wrench into the wheel. A Union that works is better than one, which is in a permanent gridlock 21 Countries voted for it, 5 Countries against it For things like these agreements you need a majority of 55% of the states which represent at least 65% of the EU Population.
      - blell 10mo ago
        When the EU inevitably collapses because of this undemocratic behaviour, let’s see what’s sensible.
        philippgerard 10mo ago
        How is a majority vote (of both states and represented population) and a parliamentary vote undemocratic?
        blell 10mo ago
        How is someone from across the continent voting to destroy your agricultural sector democratic?
        pjc50 10mo ago
        Isn't this a question the US faces every day by having California and Iowa in the same union?
        10mo ago
- LunaSea 10mo ago
  The EU is already incapable of checking for cancerous substances in packages coming from China so I'm not sure how they will check for food compliance.
  - eliaspro 10mo ago
    There's a huge difference between checking packages addressed to individuals vs checking bulk goods.
    - LunaSea 10mo ago
      Cool, how many containers with drugs pass checks in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg?
      - hermanzegerman 10mo ago
        Because groceries are the same high margin items, that are hidden in sophisticated ways?
        LunaSea 10mo ago
        > are hidden in sophisticated ways? Yes, they are in fact hidden even better. How do you see that bananas contain banned pesticides or that meat contains banned antibiotics?
        hermanzegerman 10mo ago
        You take a sample of a charge and test it. If it contains forbidden substances you fine the importer. Most grocery chains in Germany with the exception of Edeka (I guess it's similar in other countries) apply stricter standards than the legal limit anyway with their suppliers, and ensure compliance by testing on their own
        ThePowerOfFuet 10mo ago
- Am4TIfIsER0ppos 10mo ago
  They don't have bureaucrats over there closing farms based on lies about nitrogen. They also have a rather large forest to slash and burn for more land whereas bureaucrats here demand we do the opposite.

clickety_clack 10mo ago

I don’t know why you are being downvoted, any small business owner would be mightily annoyed if they had to follow standards that free trade imports do not have to follow. European farming has extremely stringent limits and requirements for food production that are expensive to follow, and not shared with the countries that the deal is being done with.

hermanzegerman 10mo ago

Except that is wrong, and your article doesn't back up your point Any product entering the EU market must comply with the EU’s stringent food safety standards, the agreement does not change that https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/mercosur/eu-mercosur-agreement/factsheet-eu-mercosur-partnership-agreement_en https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-cou... You can also read the whole agreement Online https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/mercosur/eu-mercosur-agreement/text-agreement_en https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-cou...

like_any_other 10mo ago
From my article: [France] also sought [but failed to get] permission to ban imports of crops grown with pesticides, which are banned in the EU. So foreign farmers are permitted farming practices forbidden to EU farmers. And now get to compete in the same market.
- blell 10mo ago
  What’s even worse is that even though France voted against, they will have to receive the imports anyway. This kind of stuff only grows discontent. The EU desires to kill itself I guess.
  - hermanzegerman 10mo ago
    You can't work out sensible deals, if a single country can throw a wrench into the wheel. A Union that works is better than one, which is in a permanent gridlock 21 Countries voted for it, 5 Countries against it For things like these agreements you need a majority of 55% of the states which represent at least 65% of the EU Population.
    - blell 10mo ago
      When the EU inevitably collapses because of this undemocratic behaviour, let’s see what’s sensible.
      - philippgerard 10mo ago
        How is a majority vote (of both states and represented population) and a parliamentary vote undemocratic?
        blell 10mo ago
        How is someone from across the continent voting to destroy your agricultural sector democratic?
        pjc50 10mo ago
        Isn't this a question the US faces every day by having California and Iowa in the same union?
        10mo ago
LunaSea 10mo ago
The EU is already incapable of checking for cancerous substances in packages coming from China so I'm not sure how they will check for food compliance.
- eliaspro 10mo ago
  There's a huge difference between checking packages addressed to individuals vs checking bulk goods.
  - LunaSea 10mo ago
    Cool, how many containers with drugs pass checks in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg?
    - hermanzegerman 10mo ago
      Because groceries are the same high margin items, that are hidden in sophisticated ways?
      - LunaSea 10mo ago
        > are hidden in sophisticated ways? Yes, they are in fact hidden even better. How do you see that bananas contain banned pesticides or that meat contains banned antibiotics?
        hermanzegerman 10mo ago
        You take a sample of a charge and test it. If it contains forbidden substances you fine the importer. Most grocery chains in Germany with the exception of Edeka (I guess it's similar in other countries) apply stricter standards than the legal limit anyway with their suppliers, and ensure compliance by testing on their own
        ThePowerOfFuet 10mo ago
Am4TIfIsER0ppos 10mo ago
They don't have bureaucrats over there closing farms based on lies about nitrogen. They also have a rather large forest to slash and burn for more land whereas bureaucrats here demand we do the opposite.