French farmers and political voices are criticising the European Union’s proposed safeguards for the Mercosur trade deal, calling them insufficient to protect local agriculture.
Even with a proposed €45 billion in support measures linked to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), many see the deal as destabilising for sectors such as poultry, beef, sugar and ethanol, and warn the safeguards offer only “crumbs” rather than real protection.
“The project remains deeply destabilising for many sectors — poultry, beef, sugar, ethanol,” said French agriculture minister Annie Genevard yesterday evening after an EU agricultural ministers’ meeting to discuss safeguards to convince France and Italy to accept the deal.
“France’s position has been very clear: As the President of the Republic [Emmanuel Macron] said, in its current form, the project is not acceptable,” she said.
On January 6, the European Commission proposed a €45 billion package for farmers in exchange for Mercosur approval Ttomorrow.
Yesterday, agricultural ministers and the EC met to discuss the conditions asked for by France and Italy.
The Mercosur agreement is a trade deal between the EU and South American countries including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
It is designed to give European manufacturers greater access to Latin American markets, while allowing South American agricultural exporters more entry into Europe.
Germany and Spain have long supported the deal, while France and Poland have opposed it. Italy has emerged as a key potential swing vote, demanding stricter safeguards before agreeing to back the treaty. The country looks likely to agree to the deal, leaving France potentially alone.
This morning, Italy’s agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida demanded stricter safeguards, including lowering the suspension threshold. Under the mechanism, the agreement would be suspended if imports from Latin America rose above that threshold or if European agricultural prices fell by more than the same amount.
“We want this 8 per cent threshold to be lowered to 5 per cent. And we believe there are the conditions to achieve this result,” Lollobrigida said.
He also said Italy’s diplomats were carrying out final technical and political checks after receiving initial guarantees on food‑safety reciprocity. Italy wants to ensure that farm products imported into the EU meet the same standards required of EU producers.
Farmers also face rising costs from the EU carbon border levy (CBAM) on fertilisers, which came into force on January 1 and has already increased prices by up to 20 per cent.
France and Italy are seeking temporary exemptions to ease costs for farmers but removing fertilisers from the levy could hurt European fertiliser producers, who were meant to be protected by the policy.
After yesterday’s ministers’ meeting, European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič described the safeguards as part of a broader effort to secure support for Mercosur. He called it the largest free-trade agreement the EU has ever negotiated.
Agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen stressed that the €45 billion could be mobilised once the next EU budget begins in 2028 and that the EC had listened to farmers’ concerns.
“The government tries to ease the crisis, to reassure us, yes, but it is far from enough,” said François Walraet, secretary general of the Co-ordination Rurale, a large French farmers’ representation, speaking to Franceinfo today.
Despite these reassurances, many see the measures as largely symbolic. Green MEP Saskia Bricmont told Brussels Signal the package does not solve the core issues of the deal — competition, production standards and income support.
Both political sides reacted strongly: Left-wing MEPs warn France is being placated with crumbs, while right-wing advisers see a “smokescreen” to push Mercosur before budget adoption.
“The measures taken do not go far enough, not only to compensate Mercosur, but even generally to lift agriculture out of the rut it has been in for years,” said Walraet.
“We also need assurances on how the funds will be used and what policies will follow — right now, we have no answer.”
At the EU level, farmers’ organisation Copa-Cogeca also rejected the EC’s approach. “The measures discussed today fail to deliver the structural integrity needed for a strong CAP,” it said.
“They only partially curb the risks posed by Mercosur, which threatens European production standards and competitiveness,” the group added.
It also highlighted rising fertiliser costs, warning that including them in the CBAM was unaffordable and that promised commitments must translate into immediate action to ensure availability and affordability.
Political voices across the spectrum reacted strongly. Manon Aubry, Co-President of The Left in the European Parliament, warned: “Give a few crumbs to France and in exchange Emmanuel Macron will concede on the Mercosur agreement, which will be approved on Friday.”
Charles-Henri Gallois, economic adviser to France’s National Rally party leader Jordan Bardella, called the safeguards a “smokescreen”.
“The promised €45 billion would not be additional but only an advance in 2028. Mercosur will be passed before the budget is adopted. The promises only bind those who believe in them,” he said.
“Farmers will still suffer the harmful effects of the deal. Citizens and taxpayers will pay the costs. This is not new money, just early access to existing PAC funds….It doesn’t touch the real problems: unfair competition, divergent production standards, and insufficient support for farmers’ income,” Bricmont added.
France has its own additional problems in its agriculture sector with a cattle epidemic. The country is particularly sensitive to farming issues due to strict regulations and lower salaries.
This morning, around 100 tractors were driven into Paris following numerous similar demonstrations in recent days across the country.
