The European Union (EU) countries decided this Thursday to postpone the signing of the association agreement with Mercosur, which was initially scheduled for this Saturday in Brazil, due to their reluctance to speak on the matter before January, citing objections from France and Italy.
The European Commission's goal was to sign this agreement, which the two parties have been negotiating for 26 years, on Saturday in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, on the sidelines of the summit held by the countries of the Latin American bloc. However, the head of the institution, Ursula von der Leyen, will not be able to travel to the Brazilian locality as the member states decided not to hold a vote on the issue on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated this Friday that he «does not know» if his government will be willing to support the signing of the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur next January, after the 27 decided to postpone it due to the blocking of countries like France and Italy.
«I don't know what France's position will be, it's too early to say, because the work continues and we will take it to the end,» Macron said when asked if he sees it possible for the country to support the agreement it has been blocking, at a press conference at the end of the European leaders' summit held in Brussels.
French support will be conditional on «guarantees» that include sufficient funding for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), providing a «framework» for French agriculture in the face of the challenges it has faced in recent years, such as climate change, the war in Ukraine, or avian flu. According to him, French farmers «don't even want to hear» about Mercosur.
«There is the urgency, and then, what we will do in the coming weeks and what the course will be,» he added.
Brussels, Dec 19 (EFE). — The President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, stated this Friday that EU countries «need a few more weeks» and that they have only «slightly postponed» the signing of the association agreement with Mercosur to January.
«This afternoon we achieved a decisive breakthrough that paves the way for the successful conclusion of the agreement with Mercosur in January,» von der Leyen declared at a press conference following a summit of EU leaders.
Although the association agreement with the South American bloc was not on the agenda, various leaders referred to it, and during the meeting it became clear that there was no support for the countries to give the Commission the necessary mandate to sign it.
«We need a few more weeks to resolve some issues with the member states, so we have contacted our Mercosur partners and agreed to slightly postpone the signing,» explained von der Leyen, who was ready to travel to Brazil and sign the text on behalf of the EU on Saturday in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, on the margins of a summit of the Latin American bloc.
France once again expressed its reservations today due to the damage it believes the agreement could cause to its farmers, while Italy asked for more time to convince its own.
The German politician made it clear that this agreement, which the two parties have been negotiating for 26 years, «is of vital importance for Europe, both from an economic and a diplomatic and geopolitical point of view» as it opens «new commercial and economic opportunities» for all member states.
She assured that thanks to having agreed on additional checks and safeguards, «all the necessary protections» have been incorporated for farmers and consumers «in a year dominated by news about tariff increases and new trade restrictions».
«The positive impact of this pact is important not only for our two regions, but also for the world economy,» she concluded.
In turn, the President of the European Council, António Costa, indicated that after 26 years of negotiating with Mercosur, it has now been agreed «to sign not on Saturday, but three weeks later»: «After 26 years, we don't lose much with these three weeks,» he considered.
«I very much like that we are united in our diversity and that, despite all our differences, we are able to make decisions even unanimously when necessary,» he pointed out.
Von der Leyen agreed with him that three weeks later after 26 years of negotiations is not significant, and she expressed confidence that they can «bring the agreement home».
Asked if they are willing to give more guarantees to still reluctant member states, Costa celebrated the Commission's efforts, which has made «proposals that have obtained very strong support» in the European Parliament when agreeing on those safeguards or mirror clauses to protect European producers in case of an excessive influx of goods from Mercosur.
«All this has created the conditions to know that it is possible, with a three-week delay, to sign the agreement with Mercosur,» he concluded.
