Mercosur: What France and Italy want to get for EU farmers

The European Ministers of France and Italy have adopted a joint declaration on the Mercosur agreement. They are calling for more protection against market distortions for EU farmers.

The Italian government aims to make improvements to the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries to better safeguard domestic agriculture.

This intention is outlined in a statement issued by Italian Minister of European Affairs Tommaso Foti alongside his French counterpart Benjamin Haddad on Saturday (21.6.), following Haddad's visit to Rome.

Both the Paris and Rome governments agree that the current form of the agreement does not adequately protect European farmers from market distortions and does not ensure the long-term food sovereignty of Europe.

To ensure equal competitive conditions for producers, the ministers believe that European health, environmental, and social standards should be enshrined with specific clauses.

The EU Commission and the South American Mercosur countries reached a free trade agreement by the end of 2024. The European Union comprises 27 member states, while Mercosur includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Both the European Parliament and EU member states still need to approve the deal.

There is increasing talk in Brussels circles that the EU Commission may present the final text of the agreement before the summer break. This would clarify whether the agreement should be divided or not.

If the trade part under the Commission's sole responsibility is separated, only the approval of the Council and the EU Parliament would be necessary for its ratification.

France's Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard has been working on forming an anti-Mercosur alliance among member states. She has engaged with counterparts in Austria, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Poland. Together with Italy, these member states could gather the necessary votes in the Council to reject the agreement.

Clear stances are currently only known from Hungary and Austria, while the situation is more complex in other countries.

In the Netherlands, the government has been acting in a caretaker capacity since the coalition broke down in early June. New elections are not expected until the fall. Although Poland has recently concluded its presidential elections, the narrow victory of the candidate from the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, Karol Nawrocki, may boost opponents of the agreement.

However, the election might still be a focus of attention for a while. According to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," a Polish court has ordered a recount of the ballots from several polling stations due to numerous challenges.