SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 10 December (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries for the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, has requested that the European Union (EU) conduct a study to assess the “impact” of the trade agreement with Mercosur on the Outermost Regions.
In reply to a query from Vox during the control session of the Parliamentary Plenary, they stated that they do not oppose the agreement but have called for “corrective measures” and a “consensus” to avoid repeating past “mistakes”.
Quintero acknowledges that it may benefit certain subsectors, such as the automotive industry; however, aside from the elimination of tariffs and “free trade,” the agreement does not include the application of ‘mirror clauses’ and may also open up to “more countries” – currently including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
He highlighted that if the major agricultural organisations in Europe deem it a “death blow” to the European primary sector, one must consider “what it will mean” for the smallholdings in the Canary Islands, both agricultural and livestock-based, which cannot compete in terms of volume. “We are highly critical of that agreement,” he remarked.
Concerning the border inspection posts, he admitted that “there is still a shortage of personnel and technical resources” and that the central government has not fulfilled its obligations, although at least these posts are now operational on weekends.
Javier Nieto (Vox) commented that the Canarian primary sector is being “suffocated” by the “unfair competition” from imported products, which do not face the same stringent requirements as those in Spain, and that the central government has failed to deliver on its promise to strengthen inspection posts.
“I don’t wish to sound pessimistic, but if the banana sector is flooded with imports from Central America, it will face dwindling prospects,” he stated, noting that “the Canarian farmer has both hands tied behind their back” when confronted with “free trade.”
