Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the government had approved plans to file a complaint with the Court of Justice of the European Union over the deal.
"We're making good on our promise: the Cabinet has approved a motion to take the Mercosur agreement to the EU Court of Justice. This means that Poland is filing a complaint against the deal with the EU's top court," Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X.
"We have been working on this matter for many months," he added. "We have already secured safeguard clauses for farmers and will ensure that only the highest quality food reaches Polish tables."
The EU-Mercosur agreement has drawn strong criticism from farmers in Poland and other European countries, who fear that cheaper agricultural imports from South America could undercut local producers subject to stricter EU standards.
Polish officials argue that the deal could threaten food security, consumer safety and the domestic market. They have also raised concerns about the procedure used to implement the agreement.
"It cannot be that we protect the European market, care for the consumer, and require our farmers to meet the highest standards while allowing in goods of unknown origin," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters last month, adding that the move responds to concerns raised by farmers.
In March, the lower house of Poland’s parliament adopted a resolution urging the government to file a legal challenge.
The agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries—including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay—was signed on January 17 and has been provisionally applied since May 1 for countries that have completed ratification.
The trade deal would allow limited quantities of products such as beef, poultry, sugar, dairy and ethanol to enter the EU at reduced tariffs, while Mercosur countries would lower duties on European industrial goods, including cars.
The European Parliament has also asked the EU court to assess whether the agreement complies with EU treaties.
A safeguard clause introduced with the deal is intended to allow the EU to respond if imports from Mercosur lead to sharp price drops for European producers.
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Source: IAR, PAP