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The Council of the EU took a historic step on Friday, January 9, by adopting two decisions authorising the signature of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA) and of the Interim Trade Agreement (iTA) between the EU and Mercosur. The agreements will require the consent of the European Parliament before they can be formally concluded by the Council. Ratification by all EU member states will also be required for the EMPA to enter into force.
European farmers have been opposed to this agreement for months and have organized major demonstrations in recent weeks.
The Interim Trade Agreement (iTA) reflects the trade and investment liberalisation pillar of the EMPA and will function as a stand-alone agreement until the full EMPA enters into force. Its objective is to deliver the economic benefits of the negotiated trade commitments as early as possible. According to the EU Council, the agreement offers tariff reductions and opens access to new markets for a wide range of goods and services. Key sectors such as agriculture, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals will benefit from improved trade terms. The iTA falls within the EU’s exclusive competence and therefore does not require ratification by individual EU member states. It will cease to apply once the EMPA enters into force.
The EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA) brings together political dialogue, cooperation and comprehensive sectoral engagement under a single framework. It also includes a trade and investment pillar, which will become fully applicable once the agreement is concluded and enters into force. According to the EU Council, these provisions will strengthen cooperation in areas such as sustainable development, environment and climate action, digital transformation, human rights, mobility, counter-terrorism and crisis management.
In view of the ongoing legislative process on a dedicated Mercosur safeguards regulation, the Council decision introduces specific arrangements ensuring the EU can rapidly address market disturbances arising from imports of sensitive agricultural products. Until the permanent legislative framework is formally adopted following negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament, the Commission will be empowered to apply bilateral safeguard measures under the iTA for agricultural products.
European agricultural organizations and cooperatives, such as Copa-Cogeca, claim that the agreement is flawed and have expressed concern about the Council's last-minute decision to withdraw the declaration guaranteeing that the agreement will not be provisionally applied before the European Parliament has had the opportunity to give its opinion.
Next steps
Following the decisions, the EU and its Mercosur partners will proceed with the signature of the agreements. Before the agreements can be formally concluded, the European Parliament will have to give its consent.
The EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement will fully enter into force once all EU member states and Mercosur parties have completed ratification. The Interim Trade Agreement will remain in effect until it is superseded by the entry into force of the full partnership agreement.
January 9, 2026/ The Council of the EU and Copa Cogeca.
https://www.consilium.europa.eu
https://copa-cogeca.eu/
