Hlina: Caution Needed When Negotiating Trade Deals with South American Countries

Bratislava, February 27 (TASR) - There's need to be very cautious when it comes to the trade deal with South American countries, MP Alojz Hlina (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) has said in connection with farmers' protest against the Mercosur agreement and food imports from third countries that took place at the Hodonin-Holic border crossing on Thursday, SaS spokesman Ondrej Sprlak has informed TASR. According to Hlina, the European Union (EU) must insist that cultivation and breeding standards in South America are the same as in Europe if they want to export these products to us at preferential tariffs. "At the same time, the EU must insist on halting the deforestation of rain-forests. Deforestation isn't a local problem - it threatens the climate on a global level. If tariff rates are to be preferential, it must be clearly said under what conditions," he said. The EU has the opportunity to protect not only its farmers and the health of its citizens, but also the global climate, and mustn't expose farmers, the health of the population, and the future of the climate to risk for the sake of trade, stated Hlina. "If I were negotiating it, I would insist that the cultivation and breeding standards in Mercosur countries must be the same as ours," he said. Czech and Slovak farmers and food producers, driving dozens of pieces of heavy agricultural machinery, met at the Hodonin-Holic border crossing on Thursday to block the road and express their opposition to the Mercosur agreement and to food imports from third countries. Protests also took place in Poland, Romania and France. Germans were protesting at the border crossings with the Czech Republic. The key demand of the protesting farmers is that all imported farm products meet strict EU standards regarding quality, sustainability and food safety. ko/mcs