Farmers lift road blockades after meeting with Isla

BarcelonaRevolta Pagesa, the farmers' organization leading the road blockades across Catalonia, lifted the blockades this Monday after meeting with the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. The President assured the farmers' representatives that both he and the entire Catalan Government stand by the commitments made by the Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, to the sector to minimize the impact of the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. "I want to make this clear: Minister Ordeig speaks on behalf of the Government. And Ordeig's commitments are those of the Government and, in particular, those of the President," Illa emphasized. The Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, has advocated in recent hours for a "common front" between agricultural organizations and the Catalan government to create working groups and defend various positions regarding the trade agreement, such as mirror clauses, border controls, and a compensation fund for farmers affected by the agreement, among other issues. Ordeig also promised to defend farmers' interests before the EU to reduce the planned cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). As a gesture of goodwill, this very Monday morning The protesters have lifted the blockade at the entrances to the port of Tarragona..

In fact, Isla's commitment to Ordeig's promises was one of Revolta Pagesa's demands. The president took advantage of his speech during the inaugural session of the Clínic-UB Health Campus consortium to reiterate that defending the agricultural sector is "one of the Government's top priorities."

The Generalitat's position contrasts with that of the Spanish government, which on Monday again defended the merits of the trade agreement, arguing that it will guarantee greater "cooperation, trust, and shared prosperity" at a time when other powers are choosing to "build walls," reports [source missing]. Núria Rius Montaner From Madrid. He also asserted that it will generate tariff savings of over 4 billion euros for Spanish companies. In this regard, he emphasized his commitment to a geopolitical model based on a predictable international order founded on "norms and rules."

Farmers satisfied with the Government

Illa's statements came shortly after he met with representatives of Revolta Pagesa at the Palau de la Generalitat on Monday afternoon. The farmers left the meeting "happy," which was also attended by Ordeig: "We left satisfied because Illa has endorsed Ordeig's commitments to the sector," said Jordi Aguilera, representative of Revolta Pagesa, in statements reported by ACN. "From now on, we will begin working groups and direct monitoring of resource allocation for the sector and minimizing the impact of the EU-Mercosur agreement," Aguilera added. Minutes after Illa's statements, the farmers blocking the AP-7 highway in Alt Empordà agreed to lift the blockades, and shortly afterward, those blocking the C-16 highway in Berguedà also lifted their blockades. "If there are no last-minute setbacks, the blockades will be lifted," noted the member of Revolta Pagesa. Catalonia has been the epicenter in Spain of protests against the EU-Mercosur agreement (the trade bloc formed by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), a treaty that has received the approval of EU member states but still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament. There have also been protests in Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, and the Basque Country, as well as in other EU countries, such as France, Belgium, Hungary, and Poland, among others. The farmers' main criticism of the treaty is that it will allow tariff-free entry for agricultural products from South America, where food regulations are much more lax. Thus, EU producers complain that they will have to compete in their own markets against food products made abroad that do not comply with the strict standards set by European legislation for food production.