French President Emmanuel Macron sets conditions for approving EU-Mercosur deal

On August 20, in a phone call with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed his readiness to accept a trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the South American Common Market (Mercosur), on the condition that this agreement must protect the interests of the French agricultural sector.

Cows are raised at a farm in Charolles, France. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

In a message posted on social network X after his conversation with President Lula, Mr. Macron emphasized that he was “ready for an ambitious agreement” if the document both protected French and European agriculture and served bilateral economic interests.

The Brazilian government also issued a statement saying the two leaders committed to “conclude dialogue” to sign a trade agreement between the two blocs in the second half of this year, during Brazil’s current rotating presidency of Mercosur, which ends in December.

The EU-Mercosur deal, announced by the European Commission and the South American bloc in December last year after more than 20 years of negotiations, still faces strong opposition from France.

France led a group of countries seeking to block the deal, citing concerns about the negative impact on farmers, particularly in the beef, chicken and sugar industries.

The French government believes that opening up the market could flood the market with cheap agricultural products that do not comply with strict European hygiene and environmental standards, so Paris has asked for “mirroring clauses” to ensure fairness.

In addition to trade, during the phone call, Mr. Macron and Mr. Lula also emphasized the importance of multilateralism and discussed cooperation on global issues such as climate change, fighting poverty, and preparing for the COP30 Conference in Belém (Brazil) later this year.

The two sides also discussed international trade tensions, bilateral cooperation in the fields of defense and transportation./.

According to VNA

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tong-thong-phap-emmanuel-macron-neu-dieu-kien-chap-thuan-thoa-thuan-eu-mercosur-258889.htm