European Union countries voted to move ahead with signing the long-negotiated EU-Mercosur trade agreement, a decision supporters described as a major signal on trade and global influence. The deal has been under negotiation for more than 25 years and would link the EU with South American partners in the Mercosur bloc, though details cited by different sources vary on exact scope and scale.
The vote required a qualified majority of EU member states, and Italy’s backing was described as crucial to ensuring the agreement was approved despite opposition from several countries. France and Poland voted against the deal, joined by Ireland, Hungary, and Austria, while Belgium abstained in a way described as equivalent to voting against under the qualified majority system. The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the vote sent “a strong signal” about the EU’s economic clout and stability “in the face of an increasingly hostile and transactional world.”
Italy’s support proved pivotal
Italy confirmed its support on Friday, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani calling it “good news for Italy,” and linking it to a goal of reaching 700 billion euros in exports. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she had no “ideological objections” to the Mercosur agreement and said Italy would back it when there were “sufficient guarantees” for farmers, adding that the deal’s potential should not come “at the expense of the excellence” of Italian products. In the account of the EU voting math, Italy’s approval was portrayed as essential because the qualified majority system weighs population as well as the number of states.
What happens next for the agreement
Following the Council decision, the EU Council press release described two decisions authorising the signature of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and an Interim Trade Agreement between the EU and Mercosur. The same Council text said the agreements would set a framework for political dialogue, cooperation, and trade relations within a “modernised and comprehensive partnership,” and that the European Parliament’s consent is required before the deal can be formally concluded by the Council. One source said von der Leyen was expected to travel to Paraguay on January 17 to sign the text in an official ceremony, while another said she would travel to Paraguay soon as Mercosur nations meet there next week.
Size and membership claims differ by source
In one account, Mercosur nations were listed as Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Another description referred to Mercosur partners as Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The expected scale of the trade zone was also described differently: one source said it would cover about 780 million people from Uruguay to Romania and about one-quarter of global GDP, while a von der Leyen statement quoted elsewhere referred to creating a shared market of 700 million.
Political pushback and sector concerns
Opposition to the deal was described as led by France and Poland, with farmers protesting in multiple European cities, including demonstrations involving tractors and road blockages. French President Emmanuel Macron said reforms linked to internal negotiations addressed three key French demands, including new safeguards described as an “emergency brake” for imports if they undercut EU prices by 5 percent or more, mirroring EU food safety rules in the Mercosur bloc, and increased inspections of agrifood imports at EU ports and beyond. Macron still argued that potential economic gains were limited and did not justify risks to EU agriculture, and his office was cited as saying the deal would add 77 billion euros by 2040, or 0.5 percent of EU GDP.
Some French lawmakers also criticised Macron’s handling of the issue, including National Assembly member Aurélie Trouvé, who said, “If the Mercosur treaty is approved, it will be President Macron’s fault. He never actually opposed it!” Separately, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) reiterated opposition to the agreement “in its current draft,” with its general secretary Enrico Somaglia saying the deal “leaves workers exposed, agriculture unprotected, and labour rights unenforceable.” EFFAT cited concerns including weak enforceability of labour standards, insufficient agricultural safeguards, and a lack of what it called a proper socio-economic impact assessment and “flanking measures.”
Supporters, meanwhile, framed the agreement as strategic in a tense trade environment, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz calling it “a milestone in European trade policy” and “an important signal” of strategic sovereignty and ability to act. On the South American side, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrated the agreement as “a historic day for multilateralism,” describing it as a positive sign for international trade at a time of growing protectionism. The agreement is set to face further political tests ahead, including a European Parliament vote before it can enter into force.
