Farmers in Brussels mounted disruptive protests — blocking roads, throwing produce and setting off fireworks — to oppose a planned EU‑Mercosur free‑trade pact. France and Italy have signalled reservations and are pressing for stronger safeguards for agriculture and environmental rules, while the European Commission still aims to sign the deal in Brazil this Saturday. Supporters call the accord a strategic counterweight to China and the U.S., but critics warn it could harm EU farmers and weaken regulations.
Farmers Clash With Police in Brussels as EU Leaders Face Contentious EU‑Mercosur Trade Deal
Farmers drive their tractors to block a main boulevard during a demonstration outside a gathering of European leaders at the EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Farmers in tractors blocked major roads in central Brussels on Wednesday, hurling potatoes and eggs and setting off fireworks outside an EU leaders' summit. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons as protesters rallied against a planned EU‑Mercosur free‑trade agreement they say would devastate local agriculture.
Thousands more are expected to join twin rallies organized by farmers' unions that will converge on Place Luxembourg — a short walk from the European Parliament and the Europa Building where the 27 EU leaders are meeting. Protesters and union leaders say the pact would undercut farm incomes and inflame rural discontent, a political dynamic that could bolster far‑right movements.
Police stand behind a barrier as European farmers block a road with their tractors during a demonstration outside the EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
What’s at Stake at the Summit
The EU leaders are debating whether to finalise, amend or delay the long‑negotiated trade agreement with the five active Mercosur members — Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. The accord, 25 years in the making, would progressively remove tariffs on nearly all goods traded between the two blocs over about 15 years and, if ratified, would cover roughly 780 million people and about a quarter of global GDP.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signalled strong reservations on Wednesday. Macron called for additional concessions and further talks in January, saying: "We are not ready. It doesn’t add up. This accord cannot be signed." He warned that farmers "already face an enormous amount of challenges" and said they could not be sacrificed for the deal.
A fire burns in a barrel as European farmers block a road with their tractors during a demonstration outside the EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Meloni told Italy’s Parliament that signing the agreement "would be premature," adding that Rome wants reciprocal guarantees for its agricultural sector rather than an immediate approval.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pushed to finalise the pact and is scheduled to sign the agreement in Brazil on Saturday alongside European Council President António Costa — but she needs the backing of at least two‑thirds of EU member states. Italy’s reservations, allied with France, effectively threaten to block the immediate signature.
A farmer drives a tractor with a sign that reads in Dutch 'Don't forget, without farmers there's no food' during a demonstration outside a gathering of European leaders at the EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Demands and Concerns
Paris and Rome have requested stronger safeguards to limit economic disruption inside the EU, tighter environmental and pesticide regulations in Mercosur countries, and stepped‑up inspections of agricultural imports at EU ports. Critics warn the deal could weaken environmental protections and Europe’s iconic agricultural sector, while supporters say it would open markets and diversify trade ties.
Geopolitical Angle
Supporters frame the pact as a strategic counterweight to China and the United States. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued that delaying or abandoning the deal would damage the EU’s credibility in global trade, and analysts say failure to sign risks pushing Latin American economies closer to Beijing.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
South American Push
South American leaders, led by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, remain eager to close the deal. Lula — hosting the summit in Brazil — has made the pact a high diplomatic priority, calling Saturday a "make‑or‑break" moment. Uruguay’s economy minister said he remained optimistic about EU approval, while Argentina’s Javier Milei, who supports market opening, has urged Mercosur to become a vehicle for global trade access.
Also on the summit agenda is a separate proposal to seize Russian assets to support Ukraine, a topic expected to draw its own debate among leaders.
Reporting: Associated Press writers Debora Rey in Buenos Aires, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, and Mark Carlson and Angela Charlton in Brussels contributed to this report.
