EU-Mercosur Trade Deal on the Brink

This is a decisive week for the controversial trade treaty between the European Union and the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay). On Tuesday, the European Parliament will vote on a Commission proposal for a safeguard clause. This clause aims to protect European farmers from large imports of products like beef and sugar from Mercosur. States will then vote on the treaty itself wednesday or Friday, amidst growing opposition. Approximately 10,000 farmers plan to protest in the European district of Brussels on thursday, voicing their concerns about the agreement. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to initial the treaty at the Mercosur summit in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, on Saturday – if the States approve it.

However, the plan is facing resistance, notably from France. france believes the safeguard clause and other proposed measures – including stricter controls on agricultural imports and a ban on pesticide residues prohibited in Europe – are inadequate. “At this stage, the plan is not there to protect French farmers. The French demands have not been met,” President Emmanuel Macron stated on Sunday evening. His team reports he “asked the President of the Commission to postpone the examination of the agreement.”