Conditions are in place for signing the EU-Mercosur agreement – minister

BRUSSELS – The Minister of Agriculture stated today that the conditions are in place for the approval of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, considering it positive for all Member States and “an opportunity” for countries such as Portugal.
“I believe that, at this moment, the conditions are in place for the Mercosur agreement to be approved,” said José Manuel Fernandes in statements to journalists in Brussels, after a meeting of European agriculture ministers.
The minister stressed that, together, the European Union (EU) and the four Mercosur countries covered by this trade agreement (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) represent a market of 720 million people and around 25% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“It is extremely important and it is an opportunity for countries like Portugal. We have a deficit with Mercosur of around 500 million euros per year and we will be able to increase our exports of wine, olive oil, cheese,” he stressed.
José Manuel Fernandes also noted that, within the scope of this trade agreement, Portugal would also have “36 protected designations of origin,” which he considered positive for the country, but also for the EU.
Asked whether Italy, which opposed the ratification of this agreement at the end of December, has already withdrawn its reservations, the minister said he did not want to speak on behalf of other countries, but insisted that he believes that “the conditions have been created for a majority for the approval of the Mercosur agreement.”
On whether, at this ministerial meeting, proposals from France, which also opposes this agreement, to revise the safeguard clause were discussed, José Manuel Fernandes replied: “I don’t know if France will change its position, whatever is changed.”
The minister stressed that, in the agreement, there is already a safeguard clause that does not exist in any other regulation and that it is “very strong and is triggered automatically even in terms of investigation.”
“And there are many wrong myths around Mercosur,” he said, giving the example of the 99,000 tonnes of beef from Mercosur that may be exported to the EU at a reduced rate of 7.5%, stressing that this represents only 1.4% of European production.
“When we talk about chicken imports, we are talking about 180,000 tonnes, but that corresponds to 1.6% of our consumption and, therefore, it is a challenge, but it is a challenge for both sides and it will be positive,” he argued, stating that there are “many safeguards” that protect the European market and the EU also has resources, “such as a crisis reserve of 6.3 billion euros in case it is necessary to intervene in the market.”
“I believe that the Mercosur agreement is positive for everyone and it will also be positive for France,” he said.
For the EU-Mercosur trade agreement to be ratified, it needs to be approved by a qualified majority of the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU), which must simultaneously represent more than 65% of the total European population, which has not happened so far due to the opposition of countries such as France, Italy or Poland. (01/07/26)