Poland to take Mercosur trade deal to top EU court over farmers' concerns

Poland will challenge the European Union’s trade agreement with the South American bloc Mercosur at the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) in an effort to protect Polish farmers, Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Wednesday.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said the Polish government had approved a motion to file a complaint with the bloc’s top court, the Polish broadcaster TVP World reported.

The EU and Mercosur signed the long-negotiated free trade agreement in January after nearly 25 years of talks. However, the deal has drawn criticism in Poland, where farmers fear cheaper agricultural imports from South America could hurt domestic producers.

Warsaw has repeatedly voiced concerns over the agreement’s potential impact on local agriculture, food security, and production standards, while lobbying for additional safeguards for Polish farmers.

“We've already secured safety clauses for farmers, and we'll ensure that Polish tables have the highest quality food,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

The announcement comes after Poland’s agriculture minister said in April that Warsaw opposed the way the agreement had been finalized, criticizing what it described as an accelerated process that bypassed national ratification procedures.

Poland also objected to the provisional implementation of the deal from May 1.

The Mercosur bloc includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Supporters of the agreement say it would strengthen trade ties between the two regions and create one of the world’s largest free trade zones.

Several EU member states, however, have expressed concerns over environmental standards and increased competition for European farmers.