MPs from different parties are calling for a vote in the National Assembly on the free trade agreement between New Zealand and the European Union.
From rebellious France to the presidential majority, via Les Républicains, some 130 deputies asked the President of the National Assembly for a debate followed by a vote on the free trade agreement between the European Union and the New Zealand, in a letter copied to AFP on July 19, 2022.
The rebellious deputies Damien Maudet and François Ruffin initiated a request for “putting on the agenda” to the National Assembly of the free trade agreement concluded on June 30, 2022 between the European Union and New Zealand. The result of four years of negotiations, this treaty should boost trade, particularly in agriculture. About 130 elected officials from different parties supported the initiative.
“NGOs and unions are alerting us to this agreement, with vague content, but which risks harming our industry, our agriculture and the climate”, denounce the deputies. They say they fear a drop in the requirements for agricultural standards and too much competition with French producers.
The text does not have to be ratified in principle by the French Parliament.
“The President of the Republic himself has declared that + delegating our food, our protection to others is madness +”, recall the signatories, who ask that the agreement “be subject to debate and vote in Parliament”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had defended “a solid and modern trade agreement that will bring major opportunities to our businesses, farmers and consumers”, with “unprecedented commitments” on the environment.