Ursula von der Leyen announced to EU leaders the postponement to January of the Mercosur trade agreement signing, originally set for Brazil this weekend, after failing to secure a majority due to French and Italian opposition for stronger farmer safeguards—following earlier EU proposals and amid massive Brussels protests.
The EU summit in Brussels on December 18-19 marked a reversal on the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay). Commission President Ursula von der Leyen informed the 27 heads of state that signing, planned for Saturday in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, is delayed to January, as a qualified majority could not be achieved.
France's Emmanuel Macron declared safeguards insufficient to protect farmers, urging further negotiations: "Europe must better protect itself." Italy's Giorgia Meloni called it "premature," requesting a one-week to one-month delay in talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—who pledged to raise it at the Mercosur summit—to add agricultural protections. As previously proposed by the EU, new safeguards allow suspending tariff benefits for distortions in beef, poultry, or sugar, without Mercosur consent.
Opposition forms a 'blocking minority' (over 35% of EU population), potentially including Poland and Hungary, stalling Council approval. The Franco-Italian stance aligns with recent farmer pressures.
Protests intensified: 7,300 farmers (4,000 French per FNSEA) paralyzed Brussels with 950 tractors; fires burned near the European Parliament, sparking clashes with police. FNSEA President Arnaud Rousseau hailed the "unexpected reversal" but insisted "Mercosur is still NO," calling for sustained mobilization. In France, Southwest road blockades continue over nodular dermatosis, with unions meeting Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Friday.
Supporters like Spain and Germany push forward, stressing trade diversification amid global risks. The provisional deal awaits European Parliament ratification in 2026.
