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EU states gave the go-ahead yesterday for the bloc to sign its largest free trade accord with the South American group Mercosur, more than 25 years after talks began, following months of wrangling to secure enough support.
With US President Donald Trump shaking up global trade, the European Commission and countries such as Germany and Spain argue the deal will help offset business lost from US import tariffs, and reduce reliance on China by securing access to critical minerals.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed the EU’s clearance as a “historic day for multilateralism”.
“In an international scenario of growing protectionism and unilateralism, the agreement is a signal in favour of international trade as a driver of economic growth, with benefits for both blocs,” he posted on X. Opponents led by France, the European Union’s largest agricultural producer, say the agreement will jack up imports of cheap food products, including beef, poultry and sugar, undercutting domestic farmers.
Farmers have launched protests across the EU, blocking highways in France and Belgium and marching in Poland yesterday.
France voted against the deal – but a sufficient majority of EU members backed the accord.
An EU diplomat and Poland’s agriculture minister said that 21 countries supported the agreement, with Austria, France, Hungary, Ireland and Poland against and Belgium abstaining. A minimum of 15 countries representing 65 per cent of the bloc’s total population was required for approval.
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