UPA Condemns EU Rice Import Agreement, Warns of Risks to Spanish Farmers
Spanish farmers' union UPA strongly rejects the EU's new rice import agreement, raising concerns over unfair competition and ineffective safeguards.
- • UPA opposes the EU pre-agreement on rice imports, citing detrimental effects on local producers.
- • The safeguard clause activates only at 562,000 tons, deemed too high by UPA to protect farmers effectively.
- • Spain, Greece, and Italy strongly oppose the agreement due to its impact on rice production.
- • UPA calls for better food origin labeling to inform consumers about rice sources.
Key details
The Union of Small Farmers and Livestock Breeders (UPA) has strongly condemned the recent pre-agreement on rice imports from third countries reached by the European Commission and Parliament. Despite opposition from Spain, Greece, and Italy—major rice producers in Europe—the agreement sets a safeguard clause that only activates at a high import threshold of 562,000 tons. UPA argues that this threshold is ineffective and will cause severe harm to local rice farmers before protections take effect. Ignacio Huertas, UPA's Secretary of Agriculture, labeled the agreement a "new disgraceful agreement that abandons rice producers." European producers emphasize that their rice is grown sustainably and without banned pesticides, leading to unfair competition with foreign rice under laxer regulations. UPA further criticized the EU for lacking regulations that require clear labeling of food origins, which leaves consumers unaware that many rice products come from distant countries. The union plans to oppose the ratification of this pre-agreement and to decide on further actions to defend Spain's rice sector, which has already suffered from significant import pressures in recent years.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
