EU Parliament Strengthens Protections for Farmers Amid Mercosur Deal Controversy

The European Parliament has approved stronger safeguards to protect European farmers from potential market disruptions caused by the EU-Mercosur trade agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. These measures, passed by a vote of 431 to 161, include close monitoring of sensitive imports such as beef, poultry, and sugar, and allow the reintroduction of tariffs if Mercosur product prices fall 5% or more below EU prices or if duty-free imports increase by over 5%. This is a tightening compared to earlier proposals which had a 10% threshold. While the European Commission aims to sign the agreement at the Mercosur summit, France seeks to delay the signing, highlighting persistent concerns over insufficient agricultural protections. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also called for an accelerated vaccination strategy against the contagious nodular dermatitis affecting livestock amid ongoing farmer protests in southwestern France that have led to blocked roads and disrupted train services. Farmers' unions strongly oppose the deal, warning that increased imports of meat, sugar, rice, honey, and soy from South America threaten domestic agriculture. President Emmanuel Macron has voiced opposition, citing the need to safeguard French farmers, while Marine Le Pen has demanded complete rejection of the agreement to protect national interests. A government meeting scheduled for Tuesday aims to address vaccination efforts and protest tensions further. Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard signaled possible expansion of cattle vaccinations to up to one million animals to combat the epidemic, underscoring the dual challenge of managing both public health and trade concerns for the agricultural sector.