US EditionEU countries approve Mercosur trade deal after 25 years of talks
- On Friday, EU ambassadors indicated their governments' positions, with a qualified majority backing the Mercosur agreement and clearing the way for signing after more than 25 years of talks.
- Supporters say the pact would remove 4 billion euros of duties on EU exports and aims to expand evenly split goods trade worth 111 billion euros while giving European companies access to 280 million Latin American consumers.
- To win sceptics, the European Commission introduced import control measures including pesticide residue checks, a crisis fund, tighter market monitoring, and quotas to protect sensitive products: beef, poultry and sugar.
- Opponents warned the deal would increase cheap food imports as France, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Ireland voted against while Belgium abstained, and French farmers protested with tractors near the Eiffel Tower on January 8, 2026.
- The EU conclusion procedure requires European Parliament consent, Bernd Lange expressed confidence the deal will pass, and diplomats say Friday's vote makes signing likely with Ursula von der Leyen expected to travel soon.
319 Articles
319 Articles
The EU Mercosur agreement returns to the center of the controversy after it has been confirmed that the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will travel to Paraguay to sign it despite strong social and political opposition. Environmental organisations like Greenpeace warn that the treaty or agreement EU Mercosur threatens the Amazon rainforest, weakens European climate laws and is being imposed without the clear support of…
For more than 25 years negotiations have been held, now the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur seems to be almost under control: a qualified majority of EU ambassadors voted in favour on Friday and thus countries such as Fran
The EU will sign with Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) despite the opposition notably from France and the anger of many farmers
Brussels. After more than 25 years of negotiations, the countries of the European Union (EU) approved on Friday the agreement with the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), which paves the way for the creation of the largest free trade zone in the world. The signing of the treaty will take place on Saturday, January 17, in Asunción, Paraguay.
After 25 years of talks, EU & Mercosur agree to the highly contested free trade agreement
The European Union on Friday reached a free trade agreement with South American countries, 25 years after talks began, despite opposition from farmers in several European countries.
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