Faced with the anger of farmers, the Republicans are stepping up to the plate and submitting a bill this Friday, January 26, which would require reciprocity of standards between sellers and importers.
Faced with the mobilization of angry farmers, Antoine Vermorel-Marques, LR deputy for the Loire, tabled a bill this Friday, January 26, the objective of which is to impose reciprocity of standards to prevent unfair competition between products. French farmers and those coming from abroad. If sanctions against this phenomenon already exist in the EGalim law, “article 44 of the EGalim law is inoperative (…) it targets sellers and not importers”, affirms the MP in an interview granted to Figaro.
Ban imports that do not meet standards
The use of banned pesticides by French farmers is punishable by 6 months in prison, a fine of 150,000 euros and 10% of their turnover. This proposed law would apply the same sanctions to importers. “Imported products must respect our laws,” defends Antoine Vermorel-Marques. Imports that do not meet the standards would therefore be prohibited.
On Wednesday January 24, Laurent Duplomb, LR senator from Haute-Loire, presented 42 proposals for “solutions to get out of the crisis”. The objective is to “remove harassment and stigmatization (…) relax the normative system” and “correct errors” with a “commission for weeding out standards”, according to the senator.
The Republicans facing the National Rally
Historically, the agricultural world has always voted for right-wing parties. By positioning themselves alongside farmers, the Republicans are trying not to leave the field open to the National Rally, whose president Jordan Bardella was visiting a farm on January 20. “It is out of the question to attend without saying anything to a match between Bardella the city dweller and the government. Within our group, in a large majority, we are elected in rural constituencies and have worked on the subject”, s Julien Dive, LR deputy for Aisne, was then insurgent.