The trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur countries, including large-scale poultry producers Brazil and Argentina, was finalised last Decemberbut still needs approval from all 27 EU member states.
Even though the pact would limit poultry imports from South America to only 1.3% of EU production, European poultry producers are not happy. They warn that the deal exposes EU producers to “unfair competition” and risks “Europe outsourcing its own food security”.
The concerns were expressed by Gert-Jan Oplaat, President of AVEC, the Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU countries, WATTPoultry reports.
Oplaat said the EU poultry sector faced growing pressure from imports, is over-regulated and the looming trade agreement will put the sector in weaker position still. He called on the EU authorities to reject the trade deal proposal and to defend European agriculture.
Oplaat said that 25% of chicken breast meat consumed in the EU now comes from third countries, and that poultry imports from them continue to rise, such as those from Brazil, China and Ukraine – often produced under conditions that would never be authorized in the EU.
Against this, European farmers were burdened by ever more complex regulations that widened the competitive gap, with over-regulation also creating new costs and distortions within the EU’s Single Market, he said.
Editorial note:
FairPlay notes that the EU’s complaint about Mercosur poultry imports, limited to just 1.3% of its production, highlights a glaring double standard given its history of dumping chicken in South Africa and other African countries such as Ghana.
The EU has long flooded these markets with cheap poultry, especially dark meat offcuts, damaging local industries while protecting its own producers with strict regulations and non-tariff barriers. This exposes a clear hypocrisy where the EU profits from dumping abroad but condemns minimal competition at home.
