Takáč: Slovakia supports the trade agreement with Mercosur, wants guarantees for the agricultural sector

Brussels – The Hungarians and Poles are still against signing the trade agreement with the Mercosur countries, Slovakia will support the agreement. Minister of Agriculture Richard Takáč (Smer-SD) stated this on Wednesday evening in Brussels after talks between agriculture ministers from EU member states and three European Commissioners, which focused on the future of European agriculture and food security and on the trade agreement with Mercosur, the TASR correspondent reports.

To the question from TASR about Slovakia’s position after Wednesday’s extraordinary meeting at the headquarters of the European Commission (EC), Richard Takáč reminded that this is a matter to be decided by the prime minister or the government as such.

“The Slovak Republic supports the agreement with Mercosur. It cannot be viewed one-sidedly. I can say that there are two perspectives. One perspective I have as a member of the government, who represents the Slovak Republic from the point of view that the agreement is advantageous for Slovakia. There are several pluses for us. On the other hand, as minister of agriculture I say that there are several risks, several open questions that we are pointing out, for example also from the point of view of the trade agreement with Ukraine, in terms of quotas,” Takáč described the situation.

He added that at the meeting in Brussels he said that it is essential that there are protective mechanisms within the agreement with the Mercosur countries for the agriculture sector, that there are guarantees that checks will be carried out on a monthly basis and that the quality of imported products will also be verified. And in such a way that the agriculture sector in the EU is not endangered.

The minister pointed out that even larger EU member states have a problem with this. At the same time, however, he expressed his conviction that “an agreement is being reached” and that this treaty will probably be approved on Friday (9 January) at the meeting of the ambassadors of the member states to the EU (COREPER). Despite the fact that in addition to Hungary and Poland, France also has reservations, other large states such as Germany and Spain and, finally, Italy support the agreement.

The European Commission would like the EU to sign the trade agreement with Mercosur at the beginning of next week, on 12 January. (7 January)

“It is essential that there are protective mechanisms within the agreement with the Mercosur countries for the agriculture sector.” Richard Takáč