Members of the European Parliament have criticised a weakening of the safeguard clause for farmers in the Mercosur trade agreement during interinstitutional talks.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament voted on the safeguard clause designed to protect farmers from potential market distortions caused by the agreement’s implementation.
The adopted version of the clause included stronger demands than those initially proposed by the European Commission, thanks to amendments introduced by MEPs Benoît Cassart and Saskia Bricmont.
A trilogue negotiation held on Wednesday between the Commission, Parliament, and the Council sought to renegotiate the terms. Benoît Cassart condemned the resulting compromise as "a real affront" in a statement on X.
Cassart emphasised that the Parliament had overwhelmingly supported amendments that made reciprocity a key condition for the Mercosur agreement. He accused the Commission and the Council of disregarding this fundamental demand.
He called for the inclusion of "mirror clauses" to ensure fair production standards by imposing the same rules and norms on both European and Latin American farmers.
Saskia Bricmont criticised the compromise, arguing it failed to address farmers’ legitimate concerns.
She described the outcome as "a masquerade" and lamented that ambitious demands from Parliament were scaled back by the Commission and member states.
The safeguard clause remains an annex to the trade agreement, which is still being finalised. The Commission aims to travel to Brazil for the final signing this Saturday, though France has requested a delay.
Meanwhile, thousands of farmers protested in Brussels, voicing their concerns over the Mercosur agreement and the EU’s multi-annual budget.
MEP Estelle Ceulemans, a Socialist Party (PS), reiterated her opposition to the Mercosur agreement.
She advocated for strict mirror clauses, mandatory social and environmental standards, a robust sanctions mechanism, enhanced inspections, and a trade policy aligned with climate, social, and food quality objectives.
