The European Commission announced that the trade agreement concluded with Mercosur countries will be provisionally applied as of May 1.
The Commission stated that, in order to enable the provisional implementation of the EU–Mercosur trade agreement signed in January before the completion of the formal ratification process, a notification had been sent to Paraguay, which serves as the legal custodian of the agreement. According to the statement, the agreement will begin to be applied provisionally as of May 1 together with all Mercosur countries that have notified the EU.
According to the report published by AA, the statement noted that Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay have completed the necessary procedures for the agreement. It said, “Provisional application will eliminate tariffs on certain products from day one and establish predictable rules for trade and investment. This will allow EU businesses, consumers, and farmers to immediately benefit from the agreement. At the same time, sensitive sectors of the EU economy will be safeguarded by strong protective measures.”
EU–Mercosur agreement in the ratification process: support and opposition rising simultaneously
After 25 years of negotiations, the EU–Mercosur trade agreement is expected to fully enter into force once it receives approval from the European Parliament (EP) and the Council of the European Union. The agreement, signed on January 17 between the EU and Mercosur countries—Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay—envisages granting tariff advantages to Mercosur countries for certain agricultural products such as beef, poultry, and dairy, while opening their markets further to European industrial goods.
The agreement also includes safeguard clauses that may limit market access for sensitive agricultural products exported from Mercosur to the EU when necessary; however, European farmers argue that these measures are insufficient. While Brussels considers the agreement a major geopolitical gain that will increase the EU’s share and influence in Latin American trade, Germany and Spain support the deal. On the other hand, countries such as France, Poland, and Hungary, along with farmer organizations across Europe, oppose it. The European Parliament has also taken a cautious stance and has initiated a legal process by referring the matter to the European Court of Justice.
