France says the EU–Mercosur trade deal agreed in December is unacceptable in its current form and is demanding immediate proposals on mirror clauses, stricter checks, and enforceable safeguards to protect European farming sectors. President Macron says the Commission has taken steps in the right direction but they are insufficient, and Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard warns France lacks a blocking minority. Supporters argue the pact would help offset U.S. tariffs and reduce dependence on China, while farm-heavy EU states fear competition from Argentina and Brazil.
France Says EU–Mercosur Trade Deal Unacceptable Unless Stronger Agricultural Safeguards Are Added
France says the EU–Mercosur trade deal agreed in December is unacceptable in its current form and is demanding immediate proposals on mirror clauses, stricter checks, and enforceable safeguards to protect European farming sectors. President Macron says the Commission has taken steps in the right direction but they are insufficient, and Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard warns France lacks a blocking minority. Supporters argue the pact would help offset U.S. tariffs and reduce dependence on China, while farm-heavy EU states fear competition from Argentina and Brazil.
09:17 PM, 11/19/2025Economy
France reiterated on Wednesday that the trade agreement the European Union reached with the Mercosur bloc in December remains unacceptable in its current form, a government spokesperson said after the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by President Emmanuel Macron.
The EU and Mercosur — the South American grouping of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — agreed what was described last December as the EU's largest-ever trade accord, following around 25 years of talks. Before it can take effect the deal still needs approval from the European Parliament and a qualified majority of EU member states (at least 15 of 27 countries representing 65% of the EU population).
(The deal) is still not acceptable. There is no ambiguity about France's position, as we speak,
Maud Brégeon, the French government spokesperson, said Paris is pressing the European Commission to present concrete proposals on so-called mirror clauses for agricultural imports "at the earliest opportunity." France is also demanding firm, enforceable safeguard mechanisms that would allow authorities to block imports if an EU sector is judged to be destabilised, and stronger controls to ensure Mercosur products meet EU standards.
President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged that the Commission has moved in the right direction but said the measures proposed so far do not go far enough. French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard warned that France has not been able to secure a blocking minority among other member states.
Supporters of the pact, including the European Commission and several EU countries such as Germany and Spain, argue the agreement could help offset trade losses from tariffs imposed by the United States and reduce economic reliance on China. But France — the EU's largest beef producer — and other farm-intensive members like Poland oppose the deal because they fear increased competition from the highly productive agricultural sectors of Argentina and Brazil.
Sources: Michel Rose, Inti Landauro, Alexandra Hudson.