France Urges EU to Delay Mercosur Trade Deal, Says Conditions Not Yet Met

France on Sunday called on the European Union to postpone the deadlines for signing a free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc, saying the deal in its current form is unacceptable.

In a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Paris said the conditions were not in place for EU member states to vote on the agreement.

“France asks that the deadlines be pushed back to continue work on obtaining legitimate measures of protection for European agriculture,” the statement said.

The appeal comes as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to travel to Brazil on Monday for talks aimed at finalising the long-negotiated pact with Mercosur, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. However, the agreement still requires approval from EU member states in the coming days.

“Given that a Mercosur summit is scheduled for December 20, it is clear that the conditions have not been met for any vote authorising the signing of the agreement,” Paris said.

Earlier on Sunday, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure reiterated France’s opposition in an interview with Germany’s financial daily Handelsblatt.
“As it stands, the treaty is simply not acceptable,” he said.

Lescure outlined three key conditions France wants addressed before giving its approval: the inclusion of robust and effective safeguard clauses, the enforcement of the same production standards for Mercosur exporters as those faced by EU farmers, and the establishment of import controls.
“Until we have assurances on these three points, France will not accept the agreement,” he said.

EU sources said member states are expected to vote on the trade pact between Tuesday and Friday, while the European Parliament votes on Tuesday on safeguard measures aimed at reassuring farmers, particularly in France, who strongly oppose the deal.

If approved, the EU–Mercosur agreement would create a market of 722 million people, boosting EU exports of cars, machinery, wine and other goods, while allowing increased imports of beef, poultry, sugar, honey and other agricultural products into the bloc.

Farmers in France and several other European countries argue the agreement would lead to unfair competition due to lower standards in Mercosur countries, potentially destabilising Europe’s already fragile agricultural sector.