European PP blocks urgent debate in European Parliament on Mercosur implementation
The European People’s Party (EPP) has rejected a request to hold an urgent debate next week in the European Parliament on the implementation of the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, a deal that critics argue could seriously harm European agriculture.
Opponents of the agreement say it is being pushed forward without sufficient consultation with the agricultural sector and before the Court of Justice of the European Union has issued a ruling on the matter.
The political group Patriots for Europe, which includes Spain’s VOX party, condemned the decision and criticized the European Commission for continuing to advance the agreement while it remains under judicial review requested by the Parliament.
“The Commission’s decision to move ahead with the agreement undermines democratic scrutiny and ignores the serious concerns of European farmers,” the group said in a statement. “Decisions that directly affect European agriculture should not be taken without listening to those who feed Europe.”
The group also criticized the refusal to allow a parliamentary debate on the issue, arguing that major political groups had once again “turned their backs on European farmers.” According to the statement, Patriots for Europe will continue to support the agricultural sector and push for greater attention to farmers’ concerns in Brussels.
Jorge Buxadé, head of the VOX delegation in the European Parliament, also criticized the provisional implementation of the Mercosur agreement.
According to Buxadé, the agreement is being applied without sufficient transparency and despite warnings from farmers and livestock producers about its potential economic impact on rural producers in Spain and across the European Union.
