MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Signing of EU-Mercosur FTA postponed to January

“We need a few more weeks to resolve some issues with member states,” Von der Leyen stated

The highly anticipated signing of the free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), originally scheduled for this Saturday in Foz do Iguaçu, has been officially postponed until January following a surge in domestic pressure and mass protests by European farmers.

 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the postponement after an EU leaders' summit. Despite 25 years of negotiations, the Commission failed to secure the necessary mandate from member states to finalize the deal this week.

“We need a few more weeks to resolve some issues with member states,” Von der Leyen stated, though she emphasized that “decisive progress” had been made to pave the way for a January signing.

European Council President António Costa downplayed the setback, noting that a three-week delay is “insignificant” after a quarter-century of talks.

The postponement is largely attributed to a lack of consensus within the EU bloc. French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated that it was “too early” to accept the pact, demanding “historic” progress on environmental and social safeguards, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also requested more time to ensure the protection of Italian agricultural interests.

Thousands of farmers descended on Brussels on Thursday, clogging the European quarter with hundreds of tractors, as unions argued that the deal would allow an influx of South American beef and soy produced under less stringent environmental regulations, unfairly undercutting European producers.

In South America, Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi confirmed he had been briefed on the delay by his Foreign Minister. Despite the lack of a signing ceremony, Orsi maintained that the Mercosur summit in Brazil would proceed as planned to address the regional agenda and transfer the pro-tempore presidency to Paraguay.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reportedly paved the way for the delay earlier Friday after a phone call with Meloni, who asked for “patience” while Italy secures internal guarantees.

If ratified, the agreement would create the world’s largest free trade area.