The agreement between the European Union and the MERCOSUR countries has once again put on the agenda the issue of the balance between free trade and the protection of European producers. While Brussels emphasizes the strategic and economic benefits of the agreement, concerns about competitiveness, standards and real equality in the market are growing in the agricultural sector. What risks and opportunities does the agreement hide, are the envisaged protective mechanisms sufficient and how will this affect Bulgaria… Andrey Velchev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association “For Affordable and Quality Food“, speaks to FACTI.
- Mr. Velchev, the EC boasts about the agreement with MERCOSUR, but does it really protect European producers?
- The agreement with MERCOSUR is a strategic geo-economic move, but not risk-free for European agriculture. It opens a market of over 260 million people for European industry and high-tech exports, but it raises serious questions in the agricultural sector. South American producers work under different environmental, phytosanitary and social standards, which means lower cost. When these goods enter the EU, they compete with farmers who comply with significantly stricter rules on pesticides, animal welfare and carbon footprint.
The EC provides for protective mechanisms, but the problem is their timeliness. If protection is activated after the market is already shaken, the damage to small and medium-sized farms could be irreversible. For Bulgaria, this is particularly sensitive in the meat, sugar and grain sectors. The question is not whether there will be trade, but whether there will be real equality.
- The EC claims that there will be a working group for enhanced control of imports. How has it been so far?
- There has always been control. The EU has one of the most developed official control systems in the world. But in recent years, the pressure on the market has increased sharply - war, sanctions, liberalized regimes, new trade agreements. The system has begun to work at the limit of its capacity.
The creation of a special format for enhanced control is an admission that the standard procedure is no longer sufficient.
This means more coordinated inspections, more frequent laboratory analyses and a focus on risk categories. Simply put - Until now, controls have been stable, but now they are trying to become more aggressive and reactive.
- What is the EU's food safety policy?
- EU policy is built on the principle of “from farm to fork“. This means that safety is seen as a continuous chain – from production, through processing, to the end consumer. The main principle is prevention, not reaction after an incident. The EU works with scientific risk assessment, product traceability and a rapid alert system. This makes the European framework one of the strictest in the world. But strict regulation also comes at a price – it makes production in the EU more expensive. When imported goods do not carry the same regulatory burden, an imbalance is created.
- What do the new measures provide for?
- The new measures aim at stricter controls at the entrance to the Union. This includes expanded document checks, more physical inspections, laboratory analyses for residues, as well as increased monitoring for fraud and substitution of origin. Particular attention is paid to products with historically high risk – grains, meat, fruit and vegetables from certain regions. The idea is to base controls on real data and statistical risk, rather than random checks.
- Are cheap imports being stopped?
- No. World trade cannot be “stopped”. Rather, the EU is trying to manage the pressure through safeguard mechanisms and temporary restrictions. Cheap imports will continue to exist, but the aim is that they do not lead to a collapse of the internal market. The real question is whether there will be effective compensatory instruments for European producers. If they are not sufficient, tensions in the agricultural sectors will remain.
- How big a problem are imports from Ukraine?
- The topic is sensitive. After the war, the EU opened its market as a gesture of solidarity. However, this led to serious market turmoil in some countries, including Bulgaria. The prices of grain and other raw materials were under pressure. It is important to stress that goods entering the EU must comply with European standards. However, the production environment outside the EU is different and this affects competitiveness. The EU has already introduced mechanisms to restrict certain categories, but the issue remains politically and economically complex.
- Does increased control mean lower risk?
- Yes, but only if it is actually implemented. Paper-based control does not guarantee safety. Laboratories, trained inspectors, traceability and transparency are needed. When control is systematic and risk-based, the likelihood of dangerous or contaminated products reaching the market is significantly reduced. But zero risk does not exist. The question is the speed of detection and response.
- Do Europeans really have the highest standards in the world?
- Objectively – yes, the EU is among the leaders in regulations and control. The traceability system and scientific risk assessment are at a very high level. However, this does not mean that there are no breaches or attempts at fraud. The standards are high, but they must be applied equally to both domestic producers and imports. Otherwise, a feeling of double standards is created.
- How will the new framework be implemented in our country?
- In Bulgaria, implementation will depend mainly on the capacity of the control authorities – sampling, laboratory analyses, border control and publicity of the results. The most important thing for us as a consumer organisation is transparency. The public must know what products are being checked, what non-conformities are being found and what sanctions are being imposed. Only then will there be trust in both the institutions and the market. Ultimately, the question is not whether the EU has rules. The question is whether they are applied with equal rigour to everyone.