Dutch farmers against CETA Canadian-European Union treaty

This 18 September video from the European Parliament says about itself:

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan: Fighting climate change and CETA are incompatible

According to Wikipedia:

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (born 22 January 1972) is an Irish politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Midlands–North-West constituency since 2014. He is an Independent, but sits in parliament with the European United Left–Nordic Green Left.

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

Farmers are calling on MPs to vote against a treaty with Canada

Dutch farmers are calling on MPs to vote against the CETA trade agreement, which the European Union has concluded with Canada. They fear unfair competition and market disruption. The farmers receive support from GroenLinks party leader Jesse Klaver, he said in the Buitenhof TV program.

The Dutch Dairy Farmers’ Union (NMV) and the Dutch Agricultural Union (NAV) are, eg, afraid of unfair competition for Dutch farmers. According to them, the European market will be opened for Canadian products, which do not have to meet the same requirements for animal welfare or sustainability, for example.

“If the Netherlands plays football against Canada, we also think it is logical that both parties have the same rules. So it is not surprising that we as food producers also demand that”, said Keimpe van der Heide (NAV) in Buitenhof. He cited the use of hormones as an example, which is permitted in Canada for meat production. “That meat then will come on the market here.”

According to Hans Geurts (NMV), farmers worldwide are being played off against each other by the treaty. “This [so called] free trade gone wild and fair prices don’t go together,” he says.

Unexpeted coalition

According to Klaver, the fact that GroenLinks joins the farmers as a sort of ‘opportunity coalition’ is logical. According to him, stopping CETA means gains for both farmers and the climate.

Klaver hopes to get enough MPs to vote against the treaty that this fall is suposed to be ratified by the Lower and Upper Houses. “The government has not yet been able to secure a majority for this treaty,” he said. …

Part of the treaty already entered into force at the end of 2017.