While Pedro Sánchez was encouraging farmers and ranchers in Congress to trust the Mercosur trade agreement, half a thousand tractors blocked the center of Madrid in protest against that very same free trade agreement. This came two years after the agricultural sector brought the Spanish capital to a standstill due to the water shortage crisis.a malaise that uncovered many other problems—and this Wednesday they returned. Thousands of farmers from across the country demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, called together by the Union of Unions of Farmers and Livestock Breeders and the National Union of Independent Primary Sector Associations.

In Davos, Europe showed resolve and, for the moment, halted the blow. There have been notable gestures from Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, and Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England and now Prime Minister of Canada. Considering also the stance of Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, it seems that the experience of a central banker provides the necessary self-confidence to avoid being intimidated. We have been fortunate that Trump's assault has caught us with a strong and prestigious ECB.

One of the main arguments against the European Commission's plan to "create the world's largest free market" with Mercosur is the claim by many agricultural and environmental organizations that food grown with pesticides banned within the EU will enter Europe. But behind this unfair competition lies a key question: who produces these banned toxins that are then used in South America? The answer is paradoxical: a very significant portion is manufactured in Europe itself..

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, advocated this Thursday for the "immediate" implementation of the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur, even though the European Parliament has agreed to challenge the pact before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) due to doubts about its compatibility with EU law.

The principle of Community preference is a fundamental concept that refers to the priority given to products and services originating in the European Union on the EU market. Member States must give preference to European products over those from third countries. The aim is to foster intra-EU trade and European economic integration, protect industry and the economy, and promote economic and social cohesion within the European Union. It should be applied to public procurement, service contracts, state aid, and foreign trade.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a package of measures on Wednesday to facilitate generational renewal in agriculture. The government presented this proposal after days of protests—particularly intense in Catalonia, but which have spread to other parts of Spain—against the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement (Mercosur being the trade bloc comprised of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), which Sánchez himself has openly supported after Spain had previously expressed its support. According to a statement from the Spanish government, Sánchez considers ensuring generational renewal in agriculture "urgent" and a "top priority," and he presented the proposal to a group of young farmers and ranchers. Among these measures is the mobilization of publicly owned agricultural land, some 17,000 rural properties in total, which will be made available to young farmers through a dedicated platform.

Revolta 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..

This week we will continue discussing funding, because on Wednesday Spanish Vice President Montero will present the model agreed upon with Esquerra Republicana in all the autonomous communities. It will be a formality, because the Spanish government holds a majority in this meeting.

The blockade that had kept access to the port of Tarragona closed since last Thursday has been lifted. For now, the farmers have opened one lane in and one lane out and will leave in a column once they have cleaned up. As explained in The morning of Catalunya Ràdio According to Eduard Escolà, spokesperson for Revolta Pagesa, the decision to lift the barricades was made after a meeting with the President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa. The protesters are confident that the Catalan government's role will help minimize the impact of the agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur (the trade bloc formed by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay). However, the farmers blocking the AP-7 highway in Pontós, the C-16 between Casserres and Berga, and the C-38 in Coll d'Ares, which are restricting traffic to trucks only, decided in several assemblies on Sunday night to maintain the blockades for at least one more night. This decision by farmers and ranchers came just hours after the Spanish government asked them to lift the blockades in exchange for forming a "common front" with the demands of all organizations in the sector and jointly presenting them to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and the European Commission.

Catalan farmers will continue their road blockades across the country, they announced on Friday, hours after the 27 member states of the European Union approved the free trade agreement with Mercosur (the South American bloc), against which they had begun their protests in Catalonia. The farmers have accused the Catalan government of having "sold them out," while the Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, defended the trade agreement, asserting that "Catalonia is the biggest winner." "We have a 105% agri-food trade surplus, which we want to maintain and expand," Ordeig stated regarding the Catalan primary sector. In this regard, he emphasized that, in an international context where "there are countries in the world that are isolating themselves and isolating us," it is necessary to "seek new trading partners." The regional minister met this Friday in Reus with representatives of the farmers who are blocking access to the port of Tarragona and asked them to act responsibly so as not to disrupt supplies.

The 27 EU member states gave the green light this Friday to the signing of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur (the trade bloc formed by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), in a qualified majority decision that will be formalized in the coming hours. The member states gave their approval at a meeting of ambassadors in Brussels, despite the opposition of France and Hungary. The decision came after the safeguards agreed upon in December to protect the European agri-food sector were formally approved at the same session. Once the written procedure concludes at 5:00 PM this Friday, the mandate will be made official, allowing the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, accompanied by the President of the European Council, António Costa, to sign the association agreement and the free trade agreement with the Mercosur partners. The signing of the agreements will allow the immediate and provisional entry into force of the trade provisions, until the ratification process by both regions is fully completed, including approval by the European Parliament (which can approve or reject it, but not modify it) and the national parliaments. Sources from the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, which is coordinating the agreement this semester, indicate that the debate among ambassadors has confirmed the existence of a "broad majority" of countries in favor of signing the agreements and the provisional application of the trade provisions. Other sources consulted by Europa Press indicate that France, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, and Austria voted against, and Belgium abstained. However, these countries do not have the necessary support to prevent the adoption of the agreement by qualified majority. That is, the support of at least fifteen member states representing at least 65% of the population is required.

Catalan farmers and ranchers have taken to the roads again for the second day in a row to protest. Since Thursday, nearly a hundred tractors belonging to farmers from the Girona region have been indefinitely blocking the AP-7 motorway and the N-II highway near Pontós, in the Alt Empordà. They are protesting European agricultural policy, especially regarding [unclear - possibly "the European agricultural policy"]. the agreement with MercosurThe protest, which allows trade with Latin America, is also focused on the planned cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The protest was organized by Revolta Pagesa, and members of the larger farmers' union, Unió de Pagesos, are participating individually. The primary sector association will meet this afternoon in Tarragona with the Minister of Livestock and Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, to try to resolve the situation. The tractors entered the Girona highway around 3:00 AM on Thursday and have blocked traffic ever since, forcing the closure of the road in both directions. Since yesterday, there have also been other protests at the entrance to the port of Tarragona and on the A-2 highway in Lleida, which remain blocked more than 24 hours later. At the port of Tarragona, the blockade has resulted in a 69% reduction in truck traffic. On Thursday, there were also demonstrations on the C-16 highway in Central Catalonia and at the Ares pass, in this case with the help of farmers from Northern Catalonia, which have since been called off. The protesters plan to remain indefinitely, at least at the blockade in Alt Empordà, until they prevent the ratification of the Spanish government's agreement with Mercosur.

The 66th Mercosur Presidential Summit took place this Thursday in Buenos Aires, during one of the blog's most uncertain times. Brazil and Argentina, the region's two largest economies, have differing views on the organization's purpose and usefulness. The meeting of heads of state in Buenos Aires highlighted the well-known differences between Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Argentine counterpart, Javier Milei, who has passed on the six-month presidency of the blog to him.