French farmers threaten 'chaos' over EU-Mercosur deal

PARIS

Members of the "Coordination Rurale" farmers' union of Gironde (CR 33) unload waste material outside the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA) on the second day of a nationwide protest against EU-Mercosur agreement, in Bordeaux, southwestern France on Nov. 19, 2024.

French farmers have stepped up their protests against a proposed trade pact between the European Union and four South American countries, vowing to sow "chaos."

The French government is leading resistance against ratification of the trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, which would create the world's largest free-trade zone.

The new wave of action comes after farmers across Europe, including France, mounted rolling protests last winter over a long list of burdens they say are squeezing revenue.

Dozens of farmers backed by Coordination Rurale (CR), a hard-line farming union, set up a roadblock on the A9 motorway at the southern town of Le Boulou on Nov. 19, close to the border with Spain, blocking lorries but allowing cars through.

In the southwestern town of Agen, demonstrators dumped tires in front of the prefecture.

On Nov. 18, farmers staged more than 80 protests across the country.

They also blocked the Bridge of Europe, which links France and Germany, to protest against the European Commission's plan to conclude the Mercosur treaty following two decades of talks.

Farmers fear any agreement would open European Union markets to cheaper meat and produce from South American competitors, who are not forced to adhere to strict EU rules on pesticides, hormones, land use and environmental measures.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Nov. 18 that France was not alone in opposing the accord.

"Contrary to what many people think, France is not isolated and several countries are joining us," Macron said in Brazil, where he was attending a G20 summit.

He said the agreement had been in the works for several decades and was "based on preconditions that are now obsolete."