Catalan farmers block highways over EU-Mercosur trade deal

More than 100 farmers in Catalonia have blocked the AP-7 and N-II highways in protest against the European Union’s trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc and to demand a review of animal health regulations.

By morning, around 140 farmers gathered at the protest sites with tractors, firewood and food, saying they were prepared to remain until the agreement is scrapped, while another group of about 20 people blocked the Coll d’Ares border crossing with France, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Protesters are also calling for revisions to sanitary regulations on measures against lumpy skin disease in cattle, avian influenza and African swine fever, arguing that the rules date back to 1990 and no longer reflect current realities.

Farmers complain of insufficient state support and growing threats to agriculture linked to proximity to wildlife.

Similar protests are planned in other parts of Spain, while French farmers have already blocked central Paris. A vote on the EU–Mercosur agreement is expected on January 9.

Mercosur, or the Southern Common Market, is a South American trade and political bloc established in 1991 to foster regional integration, facilitate free trade, and create a customs union among its member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The EU‑Mercosur trade deal is a long‑negotiated free trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur bloc aimed at eliminating most tariffs on goods and expanding market access between the two regions.

Under the proposed terms, both sides would gradually scrap import duties on about 91‑92 % of traded products over many years, with specific tariff‑rate quotas for sensitive agricultural items like beef, poultry and sugar to limit market shocks.

Supporters argue the agreement would boost bilateral trade, strengthen regulatory cooperation, encourage investment and create opportunities for exporters in both blocs, while opponents raise concerns over environmental standards, competition for EU farmers and enforcement of sustainability commitments.

By Jeyhun Aghazada