5 ms·

There is some valid criticism raised by farmers in my country (Romania) related to use of pesticides and other substances that are forbidden in EU, but permitte

There is some valid criticism raised by farmers in my country (Romania) related to use of pesticides and other substances that are forbidden in EU, but permitted in Mercosur and products can be imported even with the forbidden substances in it. That sounds pretty bad, consumer protection is the only part that I still like about modern EU.

bildung 9mo ago
But is that really true, i.e. were you able to find actual facts supporting this? I'm asking because in Germany there are similar talking points driven by the farmer's associations (actually just the big agro corps, actual small-scale farmers don't have much of a voice in these) and everytime I tried to dig into a particular topic, it didn't seem to be supported by actual facts.
- AdrianB1 9mo ago
  What facts are you looking for, real products imported on this agreement and analyzed in a lab? Obviously not, the agreement was just signed. But, I read about examples of substances allowed in the Mercosur countries and forbidden in EU. https://www.collectifstoptafta.org/IMG/pdf/mercosur_et_pesticides.pdf https://www.collectifstoptafta.org/IMG/pdf/mercosur_et_pesti... , https://euobserver.com/climate/151818 https://euobserver.com/climate/151818
  - NoboruWataya 9mo ago
    Does the deal actually allow food to be imported into the EU if it does not comply with EU health and safety regulations?
    - ivan_gammel 9mo ago
      It does not.
      - Saline9515 9mo ago
        Who controls it though? A lot of non-compliant products are imported from China in plain sight, as there are 0 control and LATAM countries have no incentives in enforcing it.
        ivan_gammel 9mo ago
        European consumer protection authorities control the quality and food is regularly tested, of course. European producers aren’t saints too.
        Saline9515 9mo ago
        Food safety is ensured by controlling at the production level, with physical inspections. Given the sheer amount of food traded and imported the lab measures are very unreliable and costly. Private consumer protection groups very often find problematic products. Honey is a good example, massive fake honey from China has been being dumped in the EU for the last 20 years, authorities don't care at all and allow it to continue.
        ivan_gammel 9mo ago
        What do you mean “don’t care at all”? There’s literally a fresh update to EU honey regulation that just came into effect. https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/animal-products/honey_en https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/animal-products/hon...
        Saline9515 9mo ago
        Yes, the EU complained and regulated it in 2021[1], 2023[2], and nothing has been solved[3] since we don't control the imports nor ban them when importers don't act to reduce fraud and there is no enforcement when fraud happens. [1] https://www.politico.eu/article/china-honey-xi-jinping-brussels-agriculture-beekeepers/ https://www.politico.eu/article/china-honey-xi-jinping-bruss... [2] https://ec.europa.eu/olaf-report/2023/investigative-activities/protecting-eu-revenue/no-money-for-fake-honey_en.html https://ec.europa.eu/olaf-report/2023/investigative-activiti... [3] https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/food-drink/03.02.2025-beekeepers-raise-alarm-about-fake-honey-imports-in-latvia.a586230/ https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/food-drink/03.02.2025-bee...
- wiether 9mo ago
  Another partner, but the same issue: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/03/news/france-canada-lentils-recall-pesticide https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/03/news/france-cana...
ivan_gammel 9mo ago
From consumer perspective this agreement changes nothing, explicitly stating that. It does not allow lower quality of products imported from Mercosur. All EU standards for food safety remain applicable and EU may adopt stronger standards in the future. Some stuff forbidden in EU is used in e.g. Brazil, but as long as residues are at safe level, it’s considered ok. European farmers are against this part, because their business model relying on only safe substances is threatened. However, it may be possible as well that EU regulatory pressure will push American farmers to adopt stricter standards for their exports.
- AdrianB1 9mo ago
  Safe level is a bad metric. Lately the safe level for alcohol consumption was set to zero, even if it was considered safe in the past to have some drinks.
  - ivan_gammel 9mo ago
    This is why this FTA doesn’t restrict EU on making it more strict. If new health risks will be discovered, they will come up with new regulations and farmers in EU may have an advantage of being already compliant.
- Saline9515 9mo ago
  No one controls for the food quality imported in the EU. If you read consumer protection specialized papers, they very often find problematic products. Massive amounts of fake honey from China is being sold in the internal market with absolutely no repercussions. The only way to ensure food safety is to control the production sites, which Mercosur doesn't allow.
  - ivan_gammel 9mo ago
    >If you read consumer protection specialized papers, they very often find problematic products. If nobody controls it, where all those papers come from?
nottorp 9mo ago
Is it valid? Are those actually farmers? The criticism seems to come from the political side most likely to steal your wallet while talking to you, and from the nazi wannabes.

bildung 9mo ago

But is that really true, i.e. were you able to find actual facts supporting this? I'm asking because in Germany there are similar talking points driven by the farmer's associations (actually just the big agro corps, actual small-scale farmers don't have much of a voice in these) and everytime I tried to dig into a particular topic, it didn't seem to be supported by actual facts.

AdrianB1 9mo ago
What facts are you looking for, real products imported on this agreement and analyzed in a lab? Obviously not, the agreement was just signed. But, I read about examples of substances allowed in the Mercosur countries and forbidden in EU. https://www.collectifstoptafta.org/IMG/pdf/mercosur_et_pesticides.pdf https://www.collectifstoptafta.org/IMG/pdf/mercosur_et_pesti... , https://euobserver.com/climate/151818 https://euobserver.com/climate/151818
- NoboruWataya 9mo ago
  Does the deal actually allow food to be imported into the EU if it does not comply with EU health and safety regulations?
  - ivan_gammel 9mo ago
    It does not.
    - Saline9515 9mo ago
      Who controls it though? A lot of non-compliant products are imported from China in plain sight, as there are 0 control and LATAM countries have no incentives in enforcing it.
      - ivan_gammel 9mo ago
        European consumer protection authorities control the quality and food is regularly tested, of course. European producers aren’t saints too.
        Saline9515 9mo ago
        Food safety is ensured by controlling at the production level, with physical inspections. Given the sheer amount of food traded and imported the lab measures are very unreliable and costly. Private consumer protection groups very often find problematic products. Honey is a good example, massive fake honey from China has been being dumped in the EU for the last 20 years, authorities don't care at all and allow it to continue.
        ivan_gammel 9mo ago
        What do you mean “don’t care at all”? There’s literally a fresh update to EU honey regulation that just came into effect. https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/animal-products/honey_en https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/animal-products/hon...
        Saline9515 9mo ago
        Yes, the EU complained and regulated it in 2021[1], 2023[2], and nothing has been solved[3] since we don't control the imports nor ban them when importers don't act to reduce fraud and there is no enforcement when fraud happens. [1] https://www.politico.eu/article/china-honey-xi-jinping-brussels-agriculture-beekeepers/ https://www.politico.eu/article/china-honey-xi-jinping-bruss... [2] https://ec.europa.eu/olaf-report/2023/investigative-activities/protecting-eu-revenue/no-money-for-fake-honey_en.html https://ec.europa.eu/olaf-report/2023/investigative-activiti... [3] https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/food-drink/03.02.2025-beekeepers-raise-alarm-about-fake-honey-imports-in-latvia.a586230/ https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/food-drink/03.02.2025-bee...
wiether 9mo ago
Another partner, but the same issue: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/03/news/france-canada-lentils-recall-pesticide https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/03/news/france-cana...

ivan_gammel 9mo ago

From consumer perspective this agreement changes nothing, explicitly stating that. It does not allow lower quality of products imported from Mercosur. All EU standards for food safety remain applicable and EU may adopt stronger standards in the future. Some stuff forbidden in EU is used in e.g. Brazil, but as long as residues are at safe level, it’s considered ok. European farmers are against this part, because their business model relying on only safe substances is threatened. However, it may be possible as well that EU regulatory pressure will push American farmers to adopt stricter standards for their exports.

AdrianB1 9mo ago
Safe level is a bad metric. Lately the safe level for alcohol consumption was set to zero, even if it was considered safe in the past to have some drinks.
- ivan_gammel 9mo ago
  This is why this FTA doesn’t restrict EU on making it more strict. If new health risks will be discovered, they will come up with new regulations and farmers in EU may have an advantage of being already compliant.
Saline9515 9mo ago
No one controls for the food quality imported in the EU. If you read consumer protection specialized papers, they very often find problematic products. Massive amounts of fake honey from China is being sold in the internal market with absolutely no repercussions. The only way to ensure food safety is to control the production sites, which Mercosur doesn't allow.
- ivan_gammel 9mo ago
  >If you read consumer protection specialized papers, they very often find problematic products. If nobody controls it, where all those papers come from?

nottorp 9mo ago

Is it valid? Are those actually farmers? The criticism seems to come from the political side most likely to steal your wallet while talking to you, and from the nazi wannabes.