Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski arrived on Sunday for talks with farmers blocking the border crossing in Medyka. He assured that his ministry, together with the Ministry of Development, is preparing a negative position on the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries. He explained what happened with the fulfillment of the demand to waive the fourth installment of agricultural tax. – The situation has changed – he explained.
Farmers from the Podkarpackie organization Oszukana Wieś have been blocking the border crossing in Medyka since Saturday. They do not allow trucks coming from Poland into Poland Ukraine. They only let through those leaving Poland, but only one per hour. Farmers are protesting because their demand for the remission of the fourth installment of agricultural tax for this year has not been met. They also oppose the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur (an organization founded by Argentina, BrazilParaguay and Uruguay).
Siekierski arrived on Sunday at noon for talks with protesting farmers. He emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture is against signing a trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries. – I would like to remind you that we were the first to express our opposition to such terms of the contract, before unions, chambers of agriculture and probably one of the first in Europe did so – he pointed out.
Farmers' protest on national road No. 28 near the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in MedykaPAP
Ministry of Agriculture against the Mercosur agreement
He added that on Friday in Warsaw he talked about this with the Minister of Agriculture France Annie Genevard. – Together we have agreed on certain actions at the European level to achieve the goal of blocking this agreement – noted the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
He informed that his ministry, together with the Ministry of Development, is preparing a joint, negative position on the EU-Mercosur agreement for Tuesday's government meeting.
When asked by journalists about the protesters' second demand regarding agricultural taxSiekierski explained that the arrangements with farmers had been changed and all funds intended for the refund of the fourth installment for all farmers were transferred to pay the third and fourth installment of the tax for those farmers who suffered losses on their farms as a result of weather anomalies – frosts, hail. or heavy rains.
Farmers from the Podkarpackie organization “Shukana Wieś” want to have part of the agricultural tax waived.PAP
– We changed the formula. We are refunding the third and fourth installments to all farmers affected by losses. (…) The situation has changed. We incurred additional expenses from the budget to help farmers. I think this somehow justifies my decision and arrangements with the Minister of Finance. The equivalent of this installment was transferred to support the crisis situation – explained Siekierski.
Lockdown until the end of the year
Protesting farmers announce a blockade of the border crossing in Medyka until the end of the year. The blockade does not apply to passenger cars, buses, humanitarian and military transports.
Representatives of the European Union and Mercosur countries reached an agreement on the contract in June 2019. However, it has not been signed so far. The agreement is to be comprehensive and contain obligations including: liberalization of customs duties in mutual trade in goods, cooperation in veterinary and phytosanitary matters, protection of geographical indications, liberalization of trade in services, liberalization of access to the public procurement market. Issues related to environmental protection and working conditions are an important and controversial element of the contract.
Main photo source: PAP