The approval, after 25 years of negotiations, of the largest free trade agreement ever concluded by the European Union with the South American Mercosur countries has sparked strong reactions in Cyprus. Agricultural organisations and the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that they have serious concerns about food safety, the environment and the sustainability of the primary sector, warning of unfair competition at the expense of European, and particularly Cypriot, producers.
The President of Panagrotikos, Kyriakos Kailas, described the agreement as disastrous for European farmers, noting that it allows the import of products from third countries that are not subject to the strict EU regulations on pesticides, fertilisers and genetically modified organisms. He said European farmers are required to comply with obligations such as the re-registration of all pesticides and the withdrawal of hundreds of products containing banned substances, increasing their production costs by 20% to 30%.
A 'blow' to Cyprus
Mr Kailas questioned whether the EU is prepared to offer consumers products that it had for years deemed unsuitable. He argued that the quotas provided for European producers under the agreement are “window dressing”. He explained that even small volumes of imported products - around 10% or 20% - sold at prices 15% to 20% lower are enough to cause serious damage to domestic production.
He added that if the EU truly sought a level playing field, it should either ban imports produced using substances prohibited in Europe or allow European farmers to use the same products - a move which, he warned, would pose serious risks to public health. He recalled that in recent years Europe has invested in reducing antibiotics on farms, protecting the environment and promoting organic farming, policies that reduce output and increase prices.
Mr Kailas spoke of repeated blows to the primary sector, highlighting additional challenges faced by Cypriot farmers, including water scarcity, problems related to state land leases and the subleasing of Turkish Cypriot land, as well as social policy issues that complicate retirement.
Undermining food safety
For his part, the Secretary General of the Cyprus Farmers’ Union (EKΑ), Panikos Hambas, said the EU–Mercosur agreement, which will be submitted to the European Parliament, undermines food safety, the environment and producers themselves. He argued that it creates unfair competition by allowing into the EU products produced using pesticides and substances banned under European law, which he described as particularly dangerous for consumers.
“These are products that are essentially illegal in the European Union, yet they will end up on our tables,” he said.
Mr Hambas noted that it was no coincidence that countries such as France, Poland and Hungary voted against the agreement, while Belgium abstained, unlike Cyprus and Greece which voted in favour. He also expressed dissatisfaction that agricultural organisations were not informed whether the Cypriot government had sought special provisions for Cypriot farmers during the negotiations.
Consequences to environment
He called on Cypriot MEPs to vote against the agreement in the European Parliament. According to Mr Hambas, the greatest risk concerns livestock farmers, particularly dairy cattle farmers and the poultry sector, potentially leading to the abandonment of rural areas, with serious environmental consequences.
Referring to the quotas included in the agreement, he said they do not reassure the farming community, arguing that tariff reductions will pave the way for further imports in the future. He linked the agreement to the EU’s broader policy of reducing the Common Agricultural Policy, expressing the view that it mainly benefits large commercial interests, with serious environmental consequences, even in regions such as the Amazon.
He added that the issue will be raised at European level in coordination with Copa-Cogeca to determine next steps.
Upcoming discussion in parliament
The Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, Yiannakis Gavriel, expressed opposition to the agreement, announcing that the issue will be discussed ex officio at the committee’s meeting next Wednesday, in the presence of the Ministers of Health, Agriculture and Commerce. He said explanations will be sought regarding the government’s stance, warning that the agreement will lead to the import of products of questionable quality, without adequate checks, and to further increases in costs for European producers.
Mr Gavriel stressed that Cyprus’s agricultural sector has been facing rising production costs for years and described the agreement as disastrous for the primary sector, particularly for an occupied, remote island affected by water scarcity and the climate crisis.
“On what basis did the government decide to vote in favour of an agreement that is against the interests of the Cypriot people?” he asked.
CNA