Paris (AFP)
French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said on Tuesday that European heads of state and government were not consulted by the European Commission on the treaty with Mercosur, and said that it would be "not ratified. "
"The heads of state and government have not been consulted, they will be consulted in the coming months, and the French president has said what it is. agreement will not be ratified, "he said before a parliamentary commission of inquiry on the practices of large retailers.
"When the G20 in Osaka the Commission (...) decides to sign the Mercosur and it is indicated to the Heads of State and Government that Mercosur is a balanced and interesting agreement for Europe, the President of the Republic says: + as is, I am in favor of this agreement since I am told that it is good +, "said the minister.
"We did not even have the legal translations of this agreement, after we realize that there are several topics," said the minister, referring to the issue of commitments on climate - "we saw this summer with fires in the Amazon "- or that of agricultural trade -" I do not want us to trade BMWs and Mercedes for beef and for food ".
"Mercosur is not ratifiable because if it were, then it would be over the poultry sector in France," said Mr. Guillaume.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the end of August his opposition to the treaty, believing that his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro had "lied" about his commitment to the environment. This agreement between the EU and the four Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) is suspended by a specific commitment of the signatories to implement the Paris agreement on climate.
© 2019 AFP