The Council of the European Union has approved the regulation that establishes the agricultural safeguards linked to the future trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur. It is a mechanism designed to protect European producers, especially in sensitive sectors such as beef, against possible sudden increases in imports from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay or Paraguay.
The regulation allows the EU to temporarily suspend tariff advantages for agricultural products imported from Mercosur if these entries cause or threaten to cause serious damage to the European market. Clear thresholds have been set for sensitive products, including beef, which, if exceeded, can trigger a rapid investigation. For example, a 10% drop in prices combined with a 10% increase in preferential imports will be sufficient reason to act.
The European Commission will carry out continuous monitoring of imports, prices and effects on the sector, with six-monthly reports to the Parliament and the Council. In addition, investigations must be resolved within a maximum of four months, and in urgent cases provisional measures may be adopted within 21 days.
This step does not yet imply the entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement, which is still under debate, but it does guarantee that when it is applied there will be a rapid and transparent protection system for the European meat sector.
From ANAFRIC we will continue to monitor these measures and their impact on the market, defending a balanced trade that protects the competitiveness of Spanish and European beef.
