"Poland does not accept the free trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries, and we are not alone in opposing this deal in its current form," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said before a Cabinet meeting.
His announcement signals that Poland has joined France in standing against the proposed deal, which European farmers argue would expose them to unfair competition, the Reuters news agency reported.
The agreement with the Mercosur bloc—comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay—was outlined in 2019, but some EU nations, led by France, have blocked it from moving forward, according to the AFP news agency.
On Saturday, Polish farmers blocked the country's Medyka border crossing with Ukraine in protest against the deal, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
This followed large protests in France and Belgium, according to Reuters.
Polish farmers on Saturday blocked the country's Medyka border crossing with Ukraine in protest against the EU-Mercosur deal. Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
Producers say the EU-Mercosur deal would allow the entry of an additional 99,000 tonnes of beef, 190,000 tonnes of sugar, 180,000 tonnes of poultry meat, 1 million tons of maize, Reuters reported.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, AFP