EU/Mercosur: a validated but dotted treaty
On 3 September 2025, the European Commission validated the draft free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia).
To facilitate its adoption by Member States, the text has been structured into two distinct parts:
- Global Partnership Agreement
- Contains provisions falling within national competence.
- Requires ratification by each Member State and the European Parliament.
- Interim Trade Agreement
- Covers provisions falling solely within the competence of the EU.
- Its adoption requires a qualified majority vote in the EU Council (55% of Member States representing at least 65% of the population), followed by a vote in the European Parliament.
- The last two stages are expected by the end of the year.
The Commission is committed to strengthening safeguard clauses through a legal act adopted by the Council and the European Parliament. This will allow for ongoing monitoring of sensitive products, with a report every six months. It includes a mechanism to temporarily suspend imports if necessary, to investigate distortions of competition and to rebalance the situation.
It should be recalled that the path to ratification is long, especially since some Member States, including France, remain opposed to the agreement.
The reasons given by the Commission are as follows:
- Trade unions believe that the volume of imports allowed remains too high and that an influx of South American meat would endanger French industries.
- The fear that the agreement will indirectly encourage Amazonian deforestation and allow the entry of products that do not meet European standards.
- The suspicion that certain products (pesticides banned in Europe but used in Mercosur) may distort competition.
As the deal is in part « mixed »It must be ratified by the French Parliament. However, more than 600 parliamentarians (Assembly + Senate, majority and opposition) have already expressed their refusal. The French Government, even if it wishes to spare its European partners, has made it clear that the agreement was « unacceptable in condition ».
What would be the possible scenarios?
- If the Commission succeeds in convincing with its guarantees (safeguard clauses + agricultural funds), Paris could abstain from the Council without blocking. But in the French Parliament, the opposition would remain strong especially in view of the country's current political instability.
- Even if the Council and the European Parliament validate the agreement, France could block the national part (global agreement).
In this case, only the interim trade agreement (EU exclusive jurisdiction) would enter into force provisionally. - The Commission could grant France additional guarantees (e.g. lower quotas, reinforced environmental clauses) to obtain a green light.