The European Union has decided to postpone the signing of the association agreement with Mercosur, which was scheduled to take place this Saturday in Brazil, following objections raised by several Member States, including France and Italy, in a context marked by protests from the agricultural sector and internal political pressure.
The delay, now pushed back at least until January, once again highlights the concerns of the European livestock sector, particularly in sensitive areas such as the bovine sector, regarding a potential increase in imports from Mercosur countries with lower production costs and less demanding regulatory requirements than those applied in the EU.
The agreement, negotiated for over 26 years by the European Commission and Mercosur countries, was due to be signed in the Brazilian city of Foz de Iguazú during the bloc’s summit. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was expected to attend the meeting to finalise the deal. However, EU Member States decided not to submit the text to a prior vote, preventing the agreement from being signed.
From the perspective of the livestock sector — and especially the European bovine industry — one of the main points of contention is the lack of sufficient safeguards to prevent market distortions. Although the EU had negotiated certain safeguard clauses to protect European producers from a sudden increase in imports or lower-priced products, these measures are widely seen as insufficient by the sector.
In addition, the European Parliament sought to include a so-called “mirror clause”, which would have required Mercosur exports to comply with the same sanitary, environmental and animal welfare standards applicable within the EU. This demand, considered essential by the bovine sector, was ultimately excluded due to legal incompatibilities with the original negotiation framework.
The postponement of the agreement creates a new period of uncertainty, but also provides an opportunity to reopen the debate on ensuring fair competition, safeguarding the viability of European livestock farms and ensuring that international trade agreements fully reflect the regulatory standards faced by the EU bovine sector.
