The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has announced that he will reject the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur, following a meeting with the country's farmers in Toulouse. Macron assured them that the treaty between the two regional blocs will face a "resounding no from France", which brought relief to the French agricultural sector, as confirmed by Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard. "France cannot validate the agreement project with the Mercosur countries at this time because it does not protect the interests of our farmers", Genevard stated, who also participated in the meeting. In this regard, the official added: "We cannot accept the production or import of products and foodstuffs into European soil that do not respect the rules we impose on our own producers". On Wednesday, some 300 farmers asked Macron for clarifications on the free trade treaty with Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay), after the president stated last week that he saw positive prospects for signing the agreement. "The president has committed today not to sign the Mercosur agreement until the necessary clauses are included", stated the head of the Regional Federation of Agricultural Exploiters' Unions (Frsea), Jean-Marie Driat, who opposes the treaty as a whole.
