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Farmers’ union for a ban on the import of products with prohibited substances from South America

by AI | 16.Jan 2026 | Europe in brief AI

Before signing the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, the Farmers’ Union of Slovenia called on the government to ban products that contain substances prohibited in the EU.

Slovenian farmers are not in favor of importing products from South America: Photo: Daniel Novaković/STA

Ljubljana – The Slovenian Farmers’ Union has called on the government, ahead of Saturday’s signing of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, to ban the import of products containing substances that are not allowed in the EU. It notes that Slovenia has so far not protected farmers with any national measure in the event of damage caused by this agreement.

The union is demanding that the government protect Slovenian farmers from unfair competition and the negative consequences of the Mercosur agreement in the way proposed by French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. He announced that France will issue a decree for the temporary suspension of imports of products containing residues of substances that are not allowed in the EU, such as mancozeb, glufosinate, thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim, the union wrote in a press release on Friday.

“The government and the competent ministry should protect Slovenian farmers and Slovenian consumers and ban the import of all products listed in the Mercosur agreement if they contain substances that are not allowed in the EU. The ban should be enforced at all EU entry points, and products containing prohibited substances should be immediately returned to the exporting country in South America,” they stressed.

The union is critical of the assurance in the Mercosur agreement that, in the event of a deterioration in the competitive position of Slovenian farmers, the damage caused will be covered from compensation funds, as in their opinion this will be a lengthy and very difficult procedure to prove. (16 January)