The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) has finalised its negotiating position on agricultural imports linked to the EU–Mercosur trade agreement. The draft regulation sets out how the EU may temporarily suspend tariff liberalisation on agricultural imports from Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) if such imports cause harm to EU farmers.
The Parliament’s standing rapporteur for Mercosur, Gabriel Mato (EPP, Spain), stressed that the agreed safeguard mechanisms “significantly improve the functioning of the regulation, achieving stronger protection for our farmers.” INTA Committee Chair Bernd Lange (Socialists & Democrats, Germany) underlined that “we have shown the EU’s agricultural sector that if producers are negatively affected by the EU–Mercosur agreement, we will protect them.”
The negotiating mandate will be submitted for approval by the European Parliament in plenary session on 15–18 December. Negotiations with the Council on the final form of the legislation will then begin.
