Hungary to oppose EU-MERCOSUR agreement, protecting farmers’ interests

Hungary will not support the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest will vote against the document on the eve of the relevant decision in the EU in order to protect European, including Hungarian, farmers.

According to Szijjarto, the European Commission insists on the adoption of an agreement that would effectively open the European market to unlimited imports of agricultural products from South America. He stressed that such steps are being taken at the expense of local farmers, whose interests, according to him, Brussels has once again ignored.

The agreement between the EU and Mercosur was tentatively concluded on December 6, 2024, despite mass protests by European farmers. To enter into force, the document must be approved by all EU countries, while objections from four states, which together represent at least 35% of the EU population, are sufficient to block it.

The agreement is being actively opposed by agricultural associations of the European Union, as well as the governments of France, Poland and a number of other countries. MERCOSUR unites Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and forms a market for almost 780 million consumers. Despite expert estimates of a possible increase in MERCOSUR’s GDP by 0.7% and the EU economy by 0.1%, critics warn that the agreement could deal a serious blow to European agricultural production.

Tags: EU, Hungary