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The European Commission has submitted to the Council its proposal for the signing and conclusion of the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement, negotiated with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. This historic agreement would create the world’s largest free trade area, covering a market of more than 700 million consumers.
The current proposal marks the start of the political endgame. For the agreement to fully enter into force, several steps remain: approval by the Council, a vote in the European Parliament, and ratification by all national parliaments of the Member States. In the meantime, a provisional application of certain trade provisions is being considered to bring early benefits.
To address the concerns of the European agricultural sector, the EU has set limited quotas for sensitive imports, for example 1.5% of EU beef production and 1.3% for poultry. In addition, a bilateral safeguard mechanism will protect farmers against any excessive increase in imports.
Furthermore, the Commission plans to complement the agreement with accompanying initiatives, such as the gradual alignment of production standards on pesticides and animal welfare for imported products. It also stresses that the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards will remain unchanged and fully applicable to products from Mercosur.
September 3, 2025/ European Commission/ European Union.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission
