"No to the Mercosur agreement!" Farmers once again voiced their opposition to the notorious free-trade agreement on Wednesday December 11. In Calais, northern France, where around a hundred tractors blocked the A16 freeway near the Channel Tunnel, in response to a call from the Jeunes Agriculteurs (Young Farmers) and the FDSEA. There were also protests in Dijon, Burgundy, where almost a hundred members of the same unions marched through the city, dumping manure and used tires.

The agreement reached on Friday, December 6, between the European Union (EU) and the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) has ruffled the feathers of many French farmers and provoked a unanimous outcry from all farmers' unions. The European Commission has just published all of the details of the treaty, and insists that the treaty will not penalize European farmers.

It contains "a lot of guarantees," said Luxembourg's Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen on Monday, December 9. He added that certain sectors, such as dairy products and wine, would benefit from the free-trade agreement. European spirits sellers, who exported €388 million in 2022, and wine sellers (€221 million) will no longer be subject to the 35% customs tax. They have every reason to be satisfied, even if, conversely, the Mercosur countries are also keen to export their spirits.

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