European farmers criticize EU trade chief over agriculture deal on eve of WTO talks

European farmers said Monday that an agricultural deal on the table at upcoming World Trade Organization talks would cost them billions of euros (dollars) and at least a half-million jobs.

Jean-Michel Lemetayer, the president of the European farmers' lobby COPA, said EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson was wrong when he claimed that failing to strike a deal in WTO talks that begin Friday would shut Europe off from freer global trade.

"No deal is better than a bad deal, and the deal currently on the table is very bad," Lemetayer said.

The current proposal would slash farm subsidies and open up the EU to more agricultural exports such as Brazilian beef that costs far less to produce than European rivals.

The farmers' group said European consumers object to a deal that would make "consumers in the EU even more dependent on imports for their basic food supplies at a time of a world food crisis."