EU countries have voted in favor of signing a free trade agreement with the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR), which is being protested by farmers across Europe. A representative of the Cypriot presidency of the EU Council announced this to reporters.
“The EU countries approved the signing of the agreement“, he said.
The vote was held by written procedure, which took place from 8:00 to 16:00 local time (9:00 to 17:00 Bulgarian time).
The Polish authorities are considering imposing a unilateral embargo on imports of agricultural products from the MERCOSUR countries, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters.
“As for the embargo on agricultural products from the MERCOSUR countries, we are analyzing all the legal instruments at our disposal. For example, we are currently working on a regulation similar to the one the French are working on – for example, blocking imports of products with excessive levels of pesticides“, Tusk said at a press conference broadcast by TVP Info.
On 5 December 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the finish line in the EU-MERCOSUR negotiations is approaching. On 6 December, the parties signed a trade agreement, despite protests from European farmers. For the document to enter into force, it must be approved by all member states. Blocking the agreement requires the rejection of four countries representing at least 35% of the EU population. It is opposed by the EU's agricultural lobby, the governments of France, Poland and several other countries.
MERCOSUR is the largest trade and economic bloc in South America, founded by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Their combined territory represents more than 70% of the area of South America, with a population of 295 million people.