Members of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee agree that EU farmers need better protection against agricultural imports, while EU Trade Commissioner Vladis Dombrovsky defends the EU Commission’s liberal course.

Herbert Dorfman, an Italian Christian Democrat, has criticized the European Union for importing 80 percent of its protein requirements for animal feed from soy imports from South America.

Review the Mercosur Agreement

Due to strict environmental and climate restrictions, the cultivation of protein crops in the European Union is far from over. The European Commission should take action against cheap imports and, above all, thoroughly review the Mercosur Agreement and make it Dorfmanized.

In discussions with Dombrovsky in the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, all political groups called for better external protection for the EU’s agricultural sector. Italian Social Democrat Paulo de Castro doubts whether the European Commission will provide adequate protection for wine determination in ongoing talks with Chile.

Discomfort with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Martin Hlingsling of the Greens in Germany thinks it is disappointing that efforts to implement effective conservation of tropical rainforests are being negotiated with Brazilian President Jair Bolzoni. Housing warned that if the agreement with the two countries was negotiated, it would increase agricultural exports from New Zealand and Australia.

Finally, instead of publicly discussing the EU’s stance on green genetic engineering, fat-increasing hormones, and food safety standards, Green MPs criticized US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Wilzack for being a “barrier to trade.” Irish MEP Luke Ming Flanagan rejected the Mercosur deal because it would hurt Irish beef producers.

Dombrovsky: Focus on exports for growth

EU Trade Commissioner Vladis Dombrovsky defended open markets and trade against MEPs. If the EU’s agricultural sector wants to grow, it must focus on exports. Food demand in the European Union is stagnant, which is why growth can only be achieved with the help of world markets.

Dombrovsky referred to the panel’s study of the EU Commission on the cumulative effects of twelve different trade agreements. Thereafter, through the agreements, the EU can expect better sales opportunities for pork, dairy products and wines for the agricultural sector. On the other hand, beef imports into the EU will increase due to trade agreements, which is why the European Commission will protect this sensitive area with quotas, Dombrovsky said.

The Commissioner wants to secure international conditions

The EU Trade Commissioner estimates that the 99,000 quota beef imports to Mercosur countries will not increase significantly. South Americans only have to pay a small customs duty for a fixed amount. In any case, the Mercosur Agreement will not affect the trade imbalance in protein as there is no import duty on soy.

Dombrovsky promised MEPs that the increased environmental and climate requirements for EU farmers would be secured internationally. The sustainable agriculture sector will have a special chapter in future trade agreements. The CETA marked the beginning of an agreement with Canada agreeing to comprehensive animal welfare.

At the level of the G20 and the World Trade Organization, the European Union will work to ensure not only the nature of the final products but also the methods of their manufacture in terms of import restrictions. Only then can EU environmental and climate standards be protected from cheap imports.