EU member states back Mercosur deal, French MEPs vow fight in Parliament
Euronews.com••world
Key Points:
- The EU secured a qualified majority backing for the Mercosur trade agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, ending over 20 years of negotiations and internal EU divisions, despite opposition from France, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and Ireland.
- The agreement, championed by Germany and Spain, aims to create a free-trade area covering more than 700 million people, granting European companies access to Latin America's 280 million consumers, while opponents, led by France, fear unfair competition for EU farmers.
- To address concerns, the deal includes safeguards such as monitoring EU markets to prevent disruptions, quotas on sensitive agricultural products, climate compliance tied to the Paris Agreement, and financial concessions like early access to €45 billion in agricultural funds.
