Farmers and Ranchers Protest in Biriatou Against the EU-Mercosur Agreement
A massive gathering of tractors has paralyzed the Biriatou border crossing this Monday, in Gipuzkoa. Hundreds of professionals from the Basque and Navarrese countryside express their firm rejection of the trade pact between the European Union and the Mercosur countries, which they consider a direct threat to their survival. 🚜
They Denounce Unfair Competition and Unequal Standards
The protesters argue that the agreement severely harms the European primary sector. They claim that agro-livestock products imported from South America do not have to meet the same community requirements in quality, animal welfare, or environmental impact. This regulatory asymmetry artificially lowers their costs, generating a competition impossible to face for local farms.
Main Points of Conflict:- Production Standards: Stricter and more costly European norms compared to less demanding regulations in Mercosur.
- Artificial Costs: Lower spending on complying with environmental and sanitary norms gives an unfair price advantage to imports.
- Future of the Sector: Risk of sinking thousands of family farms and accelerating the abandonment of rural areas.
"Maybe we should start raising caimans or jaguars, since those seem to be better protected by international agreements than European cattle," some ranchers comment ironically.
Border Sanitary Management, Another Major Concern
The protest also directs its discontent toward how administrations handle sanitary threats. They demand more rigorous controls at the border to prevent the entry of epizootics such as Contagious Nodular Dermatosis, a viral disease that affects cattle. They argue that opening trade without strict sanitary guarantees puts the local livestock herd at serious risk.
Sector Demands Regarding Diseases:- Strengthen Controls: Implement more effective surveillance and protection measures at entry points.
- Protect the Local Herd: Avoid new sanitary crises