Approved EU-Mercosur deal could spell disaster for animals

25 years in the making, EU and Mercosur leaders concluded negotiations for extra sustainability commitments in the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Montevideo today. Animal protection organisations are against this agreement in its current form and call on both the European Council and Parliament to reject it to avoid fuelling more intensive animal production in both regions. 

The announcement today of extra environmental commitments to offset the negative consequences the deal are insufficient and will lead to more animal cruelty, deforestation and human rights abuses. By granting extra market access without any impactful animal welfare related conditions, this Agreement could fuel the intensification of factory farming.

If ratified, the EU-Mercosur agreement would grant Mercosur countries concessions to export significantly more poultry meat and beef. As the Mercosur countries often rely on intensive farming practices, such as feedlots for cattle and high stocking densities for broiler chickens, the agreement will further fuel animal cruelty in these countries. It also embeds the idea of Mercosur countries as mere exporters of commodities and could thus lead to more deforestation of habitats, human rights violation and indigenous lands invasion. The agreement will also destroy the habitats of wild animals and slow down the food and energy just transition in these countries.

We look to the EU to set and maintain standards for global animal welfare. The EU-Mercosur agreement authorises poultry and beef imports that come from cruel and polluting factory farms which are destroying the habitats of wild animals.

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— World Animal Protection (@MoveTheWorld) December 12, 2024

Eurogroup for Animals and World Animal Protection have long advocated for conditioning the import of animal-based products on compliance with EU-equivalent animal welfare conditions. While we welcome the announcement that EU and Mercosur countries will work more closely to raise animal welfare standards, this is insufficient. The only solution to ensure animal welfare is for the EU to apply its own animal welfare conditions on imports of beef and chicken meat, which is a demand of EU citizens. Unless this is done, such unconditional Agreements should not be approved, as they will only aggravate the situation for animals. 

Eurogroup for Animals and World Animal Protection urge EU Member States and the European Parliament to reject the EU-Mercosur agreement in its current form. It is also crucial that democratic scrutiny is upheld, by ensuring that national parliaments provide consent, as opposed to reports of a split agreement that could bypass this step.

It is very concerning that at the start of a legislative term the European Commission is ignoring its own commitments and the asks of its citizens, who do not want to fuel cruel farming practices, whether in Europe, or abroad. The deal is a step backwards from the objectives the EU has on addressing the triple planetary crisis, and will result in more suffering for so many sentient beings.

commented Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals.

We look to the EU to set and maintain standards for global animal welfare. The EU-Mercosur agreement authorises poultry and beef imports with few animal welfare guarantees. Most of these imports will come from cruel and polluting factory farms which are destroying the habitats of wild animals. Going ahead with this current deal means the EU risks undermining its global leadership on animal welfare and significantly hiders our ability to solve the climate emergency,

said David Garrahy, External Affairs Manager, World Animal Protection.

Notes to editors

The agreement will allow Mercosur countries to export 180,000 tonnes of chicken meat tariff free, and significantly improves the market access of beef with a new quota of 99,000 tonnes of beef at 7.5% tariff.