Unionists in the Ministry of Agriculture criticize the MERCOSUR agreement and warn of the risks

„The Union of Employees within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – SIND-MADR expresses its total and categorical opposition to the signing of the MERCOSUR agreement, an agreement deeply harmful to the national interest, which represents a direct threat to the food safety and security of the Romanian population, as well as a frontal attack on national agriculture and the Romanian food industry”, according to a press release.

The unionists state that their position is also supported by the warnings formulated since 2022 by the representative organizations of farmers, including the Agro-Star Federation, which drew attention to the fact that „the MERCOSUR agreement will open wide the gates of the Romanian market for agri-food products from third countries, produced in conditions significantly inferior to European standards, throwing Romanian farmers into unfair competition, impossible to sustain”.

According to the cited source, the effects of this agreement are predictable and devastating, namely the chain bankruptcy of Romanian farms, the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in agriculture and the food industry, the closure of processing units and the destruction of the rural environment and the collapse of the agricultural economy.

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The union emphasizes the efforts of the Romanian state, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to support agriculture, with Romania reaching a record level of absorption of European funds of over 5 billion euros. Of these funds, over 4 billion euros have already been transferred, and the rest is expected to be received by the end of the month. The resources were used to develop farms, increase agricultural production, modernize the food industry and support the Romanian village.

SIND-MADR considers it unacceptable and outrageous that Romanian farmers are sacrificed through a political decision that cancels years of work and efforts, pushing Romanian agriculture towards bankruptcy.

The union stands in solidarity with the position of the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, and supports all forms of union protest, as well as the actions of professional associations of farmers, to protect Romanian agriculture. SIND-MADR demands the immediate cessation of support for the MERCOSUR agreement and the protection of agricultural production, respect for the national interest and the guarantee that public and European investments will not be canceled through harmful trade policies.

The union warns that if the MERCOSUR agreement is not stopped, it will resort to all legal forms of protest, including broad union action, to defend jobs, Romanian farmers, food security and the future of national agriculture.

“NO to the MERCOSUR agreement – ​​NO to the destruction of Romanian agriculture! Romanian agriculture is NOT a bargaining chip,” concludes SIND-MADR.