US EditionThe EU offers new protections for farmers as it seeks to build support for Mercosur trade deal
The European Commission would temporarily suspend tariff benefits if Mercosur imports lower prices by at least 10%, aiming to shield EU farmers from unfair competition.
- On October 8, the European Commission proposed a regulation to strengthen protections for EU farmers under the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement by making EMPA safeguards binding EU law.
- Facing strong opposition, EU farmers in France and the Netherlands warned the pact risks unfair competition and environmental harm, while far-right parties lionized protests ahead of EU-wide elections 2024.
- The plan sets a 10% threshold and allows the European Commission to open investigations if Mercosur import prices are lower, with provisional safeguards activated within 21 days and reports every six months.
- Farmers gain new channels to request investigations, and if serious injury is found, preferential tariffs could be temporarily withdrawn; special rules cover sensitive sectors like beef, eggs and ethanol with a 99,000t carcass-weight beef quota phased in over five years at a 7.5% tariff.
- If ratified, the deal would create a free trade zone covering 780 million people and nearly a quarter of global GDP, while EU agricultural exports reached 235.4 billion euros in 2024.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Brussels. The European Union (EU) tried this Wednesday to calm the concerns of European farmers about the free trade agreement with Mercosur, offering them to investigate the negative impact of imports and remedy it if necessary.Last year, the EU and Mercosur agreed to create the largest free trade area in the world, with a combined population of about 700 million inhabitants, and Brussels started the process of ratification of the treaty in the…
The EU Commission has proposed measures that would suspend trade benefits for food imports from the Mercosur countries if they become
Mercosur: Brussels details its guarantees for European farmers
Brussels – The Commission clarified on Wednesday the “safeguard measures” announced in early September to calm the anger of farmers and breeders and to secure France’s approval for the agreement with Mercosur. Brussels promises “enhanced monitoring” of “sensitive products” such as beef, poultry, rice, honey, eggs, garlic, ethanol, and sugar. It plans to provide an assessment of the impact of imports from Mercosur to the Member States and the Eur…
The Commission proposed on Tuesday a regulation to strengthen the protection of EU farmers in the context of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA). The European executive will monitor the market and launch an investigation if the prices of imported products fall by 10% or the volume of imports increases by at least 10%. If the investigation shows that EU farmers are being seriously harmed, the EU can […] The article Measures to protect Eu…
The executive arm of the European Union presented detailed proposals on Wednesday to protect farmers from being undermined by imports from South America, while seeking to generate support for its agreement with the Mercosur trade alliance.
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