Most EU countries give the green light to the Mercosur agreement

Green light to the Mercosur agreement is given by most EU countries, based on the discussion that took place earlier today in the Council, at the level of ambassadors in Brussels.

According to an official of the Cypriot Presidency of the EU, during the discussion, which took place at the level of ambassadors, it appears that there is broad support for the approval and signing of the agreement. There is sufficient support to achieve the “qualified majority” required for the approval of the Mercosur agreement, that is, at least 15 countries representing 65% of the European population. Based on the procedure, the EU capitals have a deadline until 6 p.m. Greek time to confirm their votes in writing and, therefore, the official approval of the agreement will be announced later in the day.

France, Poland, Hungary, Ireland and Austria, which have stated that they will vote against, do not gather the required number to block the agreement. A decisive role was played by the shift of Italy, which aligned itself with the countries supporting it, expressing satisfaction with the additional guarantees it received for the agricultural sector.

With the approval of the agreement, the member states authorize the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to travel over the weekend to Paraguay for the official signing of the agreement on 12 January.

The agreement is expected to be the largest trade agreement ever concluded by the EU, although it will still require the approval of the European Parliament before it enters into force. According to the Cypriot Presidency, the bilateral security guarantees given for sensitive agricultural products are in line with the positions of the European Parliament. (09/01/26)