The trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur will bankrupt Romanian agriculture by flooding the market with cheap products from South America, say Romanian sovereignists, but also many voices within the PSD (Social Democratic Party), including that of the Minister of Agriculture.
NEWS: (from min. 2:15) The way you signed the Mercosur agreement, the way grain and meat will be imported from Brazil and Ukraine, full of pesticides, in total disregard for the handful of Romanian farmers who stubbornly continued to raise animals and grow grain, vegetables, and fruit on Romanian soil, shows how treacherous you can be.
NARRATIVE: Romanian agriculture will be destroyed by imports of South American agricultural products once the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur comes into force.
PURPOSE: To promote an anti-European and anti-Ukrainian (!!) rhetoric, to provoke and amplify social tensions, and to validate their own conspiracy theories.
Reality: the agreement limits imports of agricultural products and imposes EU standards on them.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: In the Romanian public sphere, the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur is presented as an existential threat to Romanian farmers. Viral videos, social media posts, and political statements from both the opposition and several members of the governing parties suggest that an "invasion" of South American products will bankrupt local agriculture. However, an analysis of the agreement's provisions and the structure of Romanian agriculture reveals a much more nuanced reality. First, we note a poor understanding of the terms, with most opponents talking about the "Mercosur agreement" without realizing that this is the official name of an organization similar in many ways to the EU, established by several South American countries.
Opponents of the agreement suggest, among other things, that "Mercosur will flood the Romanian market with cheap, poor-quality products," but in reality, the agreement does not allow unlimited imports of South American agricultural products. For sensitive products—beef, poultry, pork, sugar, rice, honey—strict quotas are set, representing small percentages of the total EU consumption, generally between 0.1% and 1.5%. Furthermore, Romania, as a relatively small market, is not a priority destination for these exports, which are concentrated in large consumer countries such as Germany, France, and Italy. In addition, the agreement does not change European quality standards, and any product imported from Mercosur must comply with the EU rules on food safety, limits on pesticides used in crops, sanitary and veterinary rules, and even bans on growth hormones. As a result, products that do not meet these standards cannot be marketed, regardless of the agreement.
Competition for Romanian farmers comes from EU member states, not Mercosur countries
The claim that Romanian farmers cannot compete with Brazilian farms is also unfounded, because our country does not compete directly with Mercosur countries in the organization's main export segments. Mercosur mainly exports beef, poultry, coffee, soybeans, and sugar, while Romania mainly produces cereals, oilseeds, seasonal vegetables, and unprocessed products. The overlap in agricultural products is therefore limited, and the problems faced by Romanian farmers stem mainly from internal competition within the European Union, from countries such as Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands, rather than from South America.
Similarly, the narrative that Romania and the EU are "abandoning their farmers in favor of the South American ones" does not hold water, as the agreement includes safeguard clauses that allow for the suspension of preferential tariffs, the reintroduction of customs duties, or the temporary limitation of imports if they seriously affect European producers. These mechanisms already exist and have been used in other EU trade agreements. Even the claim that Romanian agriculture will be sacrificed for the prosperity of foreign corporations is not valid. Romania already exports agricultural products on a large scale to the EU market under the common commercial policy, and the main problem is not market access, but the lack of crop processing capacity and poor organization of the value chain. These structural problems won't be made worse by this agreement, because it's not what caused them in the first place.
A separate narrative was launched by Realitatea TV, a media outlet known for its countless fake news stories and disinformation, which claims that the agreement with Mercosur explans the “abandoment of solariums in Romania” , completely ignoring the fact that the problems in Romanian agriculture predate the agreement, which (ironically!) has not been fully ratified and has absolutely no effect at this point.
In conclusion, the impact of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement will be limited, indirect, and much smaller than that of internal policies or intra-EU competition. The narrative that "Mercosur is bankrupting Romanian agriculture" oversimplifies its complex problems and shifts responsibility from internal decisions to a convenient external culprit.
Potential benefits of the agreement
If ratified by the European Parliament and the legislatures of the EU member states, the agreement will provide a clear legal framework for trade with South America, eliminating tariff uncertainties and facilitating investment planning for Romanian companies. Domestic companies will thus have expanded access to Mercosur markets and will be able to export industrial and agri-food products at reduced or zero tariffs, increasing their competitiveness in the markets of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. At the same time, the agreement will increase the export potential for Romanian industrial equipment and products, including cars, subassemblies, and auto parts, as well as textiles and services of domestic origin.
At the same time, Romania will be able to access raw materials and intermediate products from Mercosur at reduced prices, reducing its dependence on other foreign markets, such as China and the US.
If we refer strictly to agriculture, the EU-Mercosur agreement will create opportunities for Romanian agri-food products with added value, such as wines, processed products, or premium dairy products, which can find a wider market in Mercosur. At the same time, the EU has provided for protection, financial support, and compensation programs for farmers to enable rapid adaptation and investments that will ensure their profitability.
One hot and one cold for the "patriots"
Finally, we cannot fail to note the discreet insertion into the narrative of Ukraine, a country that has been at war for almost four years, which Romanian sovereignists blame for most of Romania's problems, simply because it refuses to give up its sovereignty. We can also see how one of the Romanian sovereigntists’ favorite narratives in 2025 , namely that Romania is a French colony, no longer holds water at this point, after our country voted against Paris's option, which vehemently opposes the agreement under discussion.
CONTEXT: Mercosur - Mercado Común del Sur (Southern Common Market) is a South American trade bloc established in 1991. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Venezuela joined in 2012, but its membership was suspended in 2017. Subsequently, in December 2012, the Protocol on Bolivia's accession to Mercosur was signed and is currently being ratified by the parliaments of the Mercosur countries. Chile is also in the process of full accession, and Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Suriname have associate country status. Together, the Mercosur countries form the sixth largest economy in the world, with a total population of 270 million.
The ratification process for the agreement with Mercosur could take years
On Saturday, in the Paraguayan capital of Asunción, the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur was signed after more than 25 years of negotiations and majority, but not unanimous, support from the EU member states. Countries such as Germany and Spain argue that the agreement is a vital part of the EU's efforts to open new markets to offset losses caused by the US tariffs and to reduce dependence on China by securing access to critical minerals. Opponents, led by France, the EU's largest agricultural producer, say the agreement will lead to increased imports of cheap food, undermining local farmers, who have launched protests across the EU, blocking highways in France, Belgium, and Poland.
Regardless of these positions, however, the agreement will have to be approved by the European Parliament in order to have limited effect, and by national parliaments in order to have effect at the domestic level. This process may take months or even years, depending on internal debates and political priorities. Until full ratification, the agreement can only be applied provisionally for the part that falls within the EU's competence—external trade policy, customs tariffs, etc.—and not for areas that require national ratification—protection of sensitive agricultural products, health standards, environmental clauses, etc.
GRAIN OF TRUTH: Some of the concerns of Romanian and European farmers in general are justified, especially in the case of vulnerable farmers, particularly those in the cattle and pig farming sectors and in the production of dairy products and their derivatives, who are facing difficulties due to cheap imports from Brazil and Argentina. At the same time, however, domestic products with added value (traditional cheeses, organic meat, PDO – protected designation of origin and PGI – protected geographical indication products) retain their status, thus continuing to enjoy brand and quality protection. Romania, for example, has 13 products protected in the European Union: Salinatele de Turda (pork) – PGI, Pecica bread – PGI, Dobrogean pie – PGI, Sibiu cheese – PGI, Pleșcoi sausages– PGI, Smoked Danube Mackerel – PGI, Smoked Novac from Țara Bârsei – PGI, Sibiu Salami – PGI, Plum Jam from Topoloveni – PGI, Săveni cheese – PGI, Pike Roe Salad from Tulcea – PGI, Ibănești cheese – PDO, and Traditional Carp Roe Salad - TSG (traditional specialty guaranteed). In addition, 54 Romanian wines have been awarded the PDO or PGI label.
Another aspect concerns environmental protection. Increased European imports from Mercosur could encourage deforestation in the Amazon region or the excessive use of natural resources. For this reason, the agreement includes sustainability clauses, and products exported to the EU must comply with strict environmental standards.
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