At the press conference held on 26 November, Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister of Economic Development and Technology Krzysztof Paszyk and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Stefan Krajewski objected to and negatively assessed the provisions of the agreement.

The agreements signed between the European Union and the other states need to satisfy one fundamental condition – they must be safe for the consumers and farmers. This agreement fails to meet this condition, guarantees neither food quality and security nor safe development of farms

– said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at the press conference.

As the government, we call the European Union to find the right balance in this agreement. There must be adequate proportions between the interests of the industry, agriculture and of the European customers with a view to food security

– pointed out Minister Krzysztof Paszyk.

Since we cannot be sure, whether the products imported from the Mercosur countries will actually meet all EU standards, we want to include the provision addressing this issue in the agreement.  We have no wish to sign the agreement in its current form

– added the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Stefan Krajewski.

On 26 November, the Council of Ministers adopted the resolution on the negotiations of the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) drawn up by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

This resolution confirmed the consumer welfare and food security as the priority of the Polish government. The arrangements made between the EU and Mercosur countries to date fail to consider the need to balance the agreement i.e. equilibrate the benefits from opening the Mercosur markets to the EU industry and the risk accompanying the increased inflow of agricultural products from these countries to the European Union.

The agreement also lacks the safeguards related to sustainable development. An additional explanatory instrument negotiated by the European Commission should be, above all, effective and ensure compliance with high standards in the areas of climate and environmental protection, food security and quality as well as animal welfare.

In its resolution, the Council of Ministers called the European Union to put particular attention to these aspects of the agreement and to analyse the cumulated impact of the achieved agreements and unilateral trade preferences as well as the trade negotiations under way on the sensitive sectors, including in particular on the EU food security in terms of meat production.