Mercosur : Parliament Committee calls for measures to protect EU agriculture
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European Interest | 8 December 2025
Mercosur : Parliament Committee calls for measures to protect EU agriculture
By Beata Stur
The International Trade Committee has formally adopted its position on safeguard mechanisms for agricultural imports under the trade agreement with Mercosur countries. This draft regulation received approval with 27 votes in favour, eight against, and seven abstentions. It delineates the procedures by which the European Union may temporarily suspend tariff preferences on agricultural imports from Mercosur countries—namely Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—if such imports are determined to affect EU producers adversely.
“I welcome the strong commitment shown by political groups in supporting a solid and balanced compromise. These safeguards significantly improve the way the regulation will operate, ensuring stronger protection for our farmers and a more reliable framework for implementation. The compromises also reflect the key priorities raised by our colleagues in the Agriculture Committee, which was essential for building a broad confidence across the House. I will do everything necessary to defend these improvements in the negotiations to come, as they are not only effective, but also fair and indispensable for achieving a credible outcome,” said Gabriel Mato (EPP, ES), standing rapporteur for Mercosur.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have emphasised that the European Commission should commence investigations into the necessity of protective measures when imports of sensitive agricultural products, including poultry and beef, rise by 5% on a three-year average. This is a modification from the original proposal, which suggested a 10% increase per year. Furthermore, the committee advocates reducing the duration of these investigations from six months to three months in general and from four months to two months for sensitive products, thereby facilitating more timely implementation of safeguards.
“We are listening to our farmers. Today we have shown the EU’s agricultural sector that if producers are negatively impacted by the EU-Mercosur agreement, we will protect them. While the trade agreement itself already contains very carefully calibrated quotas for sensitive products, our agreement today ensures even more rigorous monitoring by the Commission and lowers the threshold for the start of an investigation. Today’s agreement should pave the way for the trade agreement to be signed and eventually ratified in the European Parliament,” said Bernd Lange (S&D, DE), Chair of the International Trade Committee.
Additionally, the committee has approved an amendment indicating that safeguards may require Mercosur countries to adhere to European Union production standards through reciprocity obligations. These bilateral safeguard clauses are integral components of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement, both of which are pending approval by the European Parliament.
The European Union stands as Mercosur’s second-largest trading partner in goods, with exports projected to reach €57 billion in 2024. Moreover, the EU accounts for approximately 25% of Mercosur’s service trade, evidenced by EU exports totalling €29 billion in 2023.
The Parliament will adopt its negotiating mandate during the plenary session scheduled for December 15-18, after which interinstitutional negotiations with EU member states regarding the final legislation can commence.
