Spain and France put on the table, this Thursday (27), their differences on the perspective of concluding the agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur, although they also stressed their common position on the “reciprocity clauses ” for agri-food imports.
The agriculture ministers of the two countries, Luis Planas and Marc Fesneau, respectively, explained the nuances of these differences in a press conference at the end of a meeting in Paris devoted largely to the priorities of the Spanish presidency of the EU in the second half of this year, among which is progress in the agreement between the European bloc and Mercosur.
Planas explained that Spain is in favor of concluding the agreement, which was signed in 2019, but whose ratification has since been blocked by the veto of several countries, including France, which requires the South American bloc to present guarantees in environmental matters. and respect for European food safety standards.
For the Spanish minister, the commitment to Mercosur, which “goes beyond agriculture”, must be implemented for strategic reasons. Planas recalled the importance that Latin America has for Madrid, and also that, in the current international context, it is necessary to avoid “gaps” in the EU’s relations with other regions of the world, implying that the European space in these territories could be occupied by others, particularly China.
However, he stressed that “fundamentally” Spain has similar points of view to France, not least because the two countries are “the most ardent defenders” of “reciprocity clauses” so that imported products have the same charges that apply to European farmers and breeders.
Even admitting differences with Madrid over Mercosur, Fesneau reiterated that he is not opposed to the agreement in principle, but on the condition that there are “mirror clauses” because “reciprocity criteria are necessary” to guarantee that the rules imposed in the EU are also required for imported products.
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