EU-Mercosur trade agreement: France maintains its reservations
Paris is firmly committed to its positions: France will not sign the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur until the partner countries have validated a strong safeguard clause to safeguard European agricultural interests.
In an interview granted to Sunday JournalBenjamin Haddad, Deputy Minister for Europe, reaffirmed France's position: no signature of the EU-Mercosur agreement until the guarantees necessary for the protection of European agricultural sectors are considered sufficient. Paris further assesses whether the proposed mechanisms actually prevent market disruption.
The safeguard clause put forward by the European Commission envisages suspending the agreement in the event of a sharp rise in imports or a fall in prices for certain sensitive products (bovine meat, poultry, sugar, honey, etc.). However, France considers that this measure alone is not sufficient. It calls for products imported from Mercosur to meet the same social, environmental and health standards as European products, in order to avoid unfair competition. Paris also calls for stronger controls on imported goods.
Brussels wants the approval of the Member States before the end of 2025, taking advantage of the rotating presidency of Brazil (Lula) in Mercosur.
As a reminder, the agreement was signed at the end of 2024 and adopted by the European Commission on 3 September 2025, but still has to be ratified by the 27 Member States. The text foresees an increase in European exports (cars, machinery, wines) and facilitation of South American agricultural imports through reduced tariffs.
As France cannot block the agreement alone, it relies on obtaining concrete guarantees before giving its definitive green light, in particular on the effective implementation of the safeguard clauses and compliance with so-called "mirrors" standards.