France calls to delay vote on EU-Mercosur trade deal

Paris says EU subordinate states cannot ballot connected the commercialized statement successful its existent state.

France has urged the European Union to postpone a ballot connected a commercialized woody with the South American bloc Mercosur, saying conditions are not yet successful spot for an agreement.

In a connection from Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s bureau connected Sunday, Paris said that EU subordinate states cannot ballot connected the commercialized statement successful its existent state.

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“France asks that the deadlines beryllium pushed backmost to proceed enactment connected getting the morganatic measures of extortion for our European agriculture,” the connection added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is owed to sojourn Brazil connected Monday to finalise the landmark commercialized pact, which the 27-member national has been negotiating with the Mercosur commercialized bloc for much than 20 years. The statement is being negotiated with 4 Mercosur members: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

But the Commission archetypal has to get the support of the EU subordinate states earlier signing immoderate commercialized deal, and Paris has made its objection to the woody with the Mercosur countries clear.

“Given a Mercosur acme is announced for December 20, it is wide successful this discourse that the conditions person not been met for immoderate ballot [by states] connected authorising the signing of the agreement,” the connection from Paris said.

Earlier connected Sunday, successful an interrogation with the German fiscal regular Handelsblatt, French Minister of the Economy and Finance Roland Lescure besides said that the pact arsenic it stands, “is simply not acceptable”.

He added that securing robust and effectual safeguard clauses was 1 of the 3 cardinal conditions France acceptable earlier giving its blessing to the agreement.

He said the different cardinal points were ensuring that the aforesaid accumulation standards that EU farmers look are implemented and due “import controls” are established.

Farmers successful France and immoderate different European countries accidental the woody volition make unfair contention owed to little stringent standards, which they fearfulness could destabilise already fragile European nutrient sectors.

“Until we person obtained assurances connected these 3 points, France volition not judge the agreement,” said Lescure.

European nations are expected to ballot connected the commercialized pact betwixt Tuesday and Friday, according to EU sources.

The European Parliament volition besides ballot connected Tuesday connected safeguards to reassure farmers, peculiarly those successful France, who are fiercely opposed to the treaty.

The EU is Mercosur’s second-largest trading spouse successful goods, with exports of 57 cardinal euros ($67bn) successful 2024, according to the European Commission.

The EU is besides the biggest overseas capitalist successful Mercosur, with a banal of 390 cardinal euros ($458bn) successful 2023.

If a commercialized woody is approved aboriginal this month, the EU-Mercosur statement could make a communal marketplace of 722 cardinal people.