The European Parliament’s International Trade Committee has approved a draft regulation that would enable the European Union to suspend tariff preferences on agricultural imports from Mercosur countries if these imports negatively affect EU farmers. The decision was reached with 27 votes in favor, eight against, and seven abstentions.
Under the proposed rules, the European Commission would be required to investigate the need for protective measures when imports of sensitive products like poultry or beef rise by 5% over a three-year average. This is a stricter threshold compared to the original proposal, which set it at 10% per year. The committee also voted to shorten investigation periods—generally from six months to three, and for sensitive products from four months to two—to allow for faster implementation of safeguards. An amendment was adopted that would allow safeguard measures to include a requirement for Mercosur countries to apply EU production standards.
Gabriel Mato, standing rapporteur for Mercosur, stated: “I welcome the strong commitment shown by political groups in supporting a solid and balanced compromise. These safeguards significantly improve the way the regulation will operate, ensuring stronger protection for our farmers and a more reliable framework for implementation. The compromises also reflect the key priorities raised by our colleagues in the Agriculture Committee, which was essential for building a broad confidence across the House. I will do everything necessary to defend these improvements in the negotiations to come, as they are not only effective, but also fair and indispensable for achieving a credible outcome.”
Bernd Lange, Chair of the International Trade Committee, said: “We are listening to our farmers. Today we have shown the EU’s agricultural sector that if producers are negatively impacted by the EU-Mercosur agreement, we will protect them. While the trade agreement itself already contains very carefully calibrated quotas for sensitive products, our agreement today ensures even more rigorous monitoring by the Commission and lowers the threshold for the start of an investigation. Today’s agreement should pave the way for the trade agreement to be signed and eventually ratified in the European Parliament.”
The full Parliament is expected to adopt its negotiating mandate during its plenary session scheduled between December 15 and 18. Afterward, negotiations with EU governments on finalizing this legislation can begin.
The safeguard mechanisms form part of both broader partnership and interim trade agreements between the EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay), which still require approval from Parliament before coming into effect.
The EU remains Mercosur’s second-largest trading partner in goods; exports reached €57 billion in 2024. In services trade as well, EU exports totaled €29 billion in 2023.
