In Berlin, farmers blocked roads due to the EU-MERCOSUR agreement

In the eastern part of Berlin, farmers blocked roads in protest against the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the MERCOSUR trade bloc (MERCOSUR, the South American Common Market). This was reported by the Berliner Zeitung on January 22.

"Farmers plan to use about 40 pieces of equipment to block the entrances to the A10 motorway," said Mario Ortlieb, one of the organizers of the action.

Significant traffic disruptions are expected in the German capital due to protests from 6:00 to 17:00 (from 8:00 to 19:00 Moscow time). The motorway exits in the Martsan and Erkner areas will be particularly affected, the authors of the material specify.

Farmers are protesting against the EU-MERCOSUR agreement due to concerns that cheap imports from South American countries could create unfair competition in the European market.

The EU and MERCOSUR, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, signed a trade agreement on January 17 after more than 25 years of discussions. According to him, the European Union and MERCOSUR are creating a free trade zone with a combined population of 718 million people and a gross domestic product of $22.4 trillion. One of the key provisions of the agreement is the abolition of customs duties between the two blocs.

The head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, announced on January 9 that the EU countries had approved a controversial trade agreement with MERCOSUR. According to Costa, the agreement will bring "concrete benefits" to consumers and producers in Europe, strengthen farmers' rights and shape the new EU economy.

On January 9, the head of the European Commission called the agreement historic after the EU countries approved the deal with MERCOSUR. According to her, Europe is "beginning a new era of cooperation with partners in Latin America."

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