Poland contests the EU-Mercosur trade agreement to protect farmers

Poland has announced that it will contest the trade agreement with the countries of the Mercosur bloc at the Court of Justice of the European Union, citing risks to food security and the negative impact on local farmers. Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Warsaw wishes to block the treaty, which could allow massive imports of cheap agricultural products, such as beef and sugar, from South America. Critics of the agreement argue that these imports will undermine domestic production, and the Polish government believes that the local market and consumer safety are threatened. In January, the European Parliament voted to send the agreement before judges, and Poland has until May 26 to file its complaint. Romania, on the other hand, voted for the adoption of the agreement, which generated internal political controversies, with accusations of betrayal of national interests from the PSD. The Minister of Agriculture also expressed concerns about the impact on Romanian agriculture.