Angry French Farmers Drive Tractors to Protest... "Against FTA with South America"

[Anchor]
French farmers took to the streets driving tractors against the signing of a free trade deal between the European Union and South American countries.

In Europe, there are also conflicting pros and cons over the conclusion of an FTA with South America depending on the economic gains and losses of each country.

Reporter Lee Kyung-ah reports.

[Reporter]
A procession of tractors brought by French farmers follows.

We came up to Strasbourg, where the European Parliament is being held all over the place.

There are a total of 30 tractors gathered in one place.

When the road to Parliament is blocked, farmers confront the police and hold a horn protest in unison.

They are strongly opposed to the free trade agreement and FTA the European Union is trying to sign with the South American Economic Community, Mercosur.

Farmers complain that the FTA will result in the killing of French agriculture.

French retailer Carrefour has also decided not to sell Mercosur meat, saying it supports farmers.

Poland, as well as France, Europe's largest agricultural country, is also opposed to an FTA with South America.

[Donald Tusk / Polish Prime Minister] It's complicated and professional, but in short, Poland will not accept a free trade agreement with South America and we are not alone. Many EU member states are on the same page.

The European Union and South American countries began discussing FTAs in 1999.

After long negotiations, a principled agreement was reached in 2019, but the discussion fell into a state of stagnation as the EU added environmental protection obligations.

However, as Brazil's President Lula da Silva actively negotiated the deal recently, it is analyzed that a settlement within this year has become more likely.

However, even in Europe, there is a large temperature difference surrounding the FTA with South America, especially the agricultural sector.

This is because it is difficult to prevent damage to farmers if certain agricultural products from South American countries are imported with zero tariffs or low tariffs.

On the other hand, Germany, which has the largest economy in the EU, is hoping to expand its entry into the South American market with the FTA.

The European Parliament plans to continue the relevant discussion amid the complex calculations of each country over economic gains and losses.

I'm YTN Lee Kyungah.