{"id":1796700,"date":"2026-02-27T11:07:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T08:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1796700"},"modified":"2026-02-27T11:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T08:07:25","slug":"eu-mercosur-sign-landmark-trade-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1796700","title":{"rendered":"EU, Mercosur sign landmark trade deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76037614_6.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"sk6xmai\">\n<div class=\"content-area sa7l9jt s9mg977\">\n<section data-tracking-name=\"sharing-icons-inline\" class=\"c75t7t0 hh5424a in-line closed\">\n<div class=\"copy-button-wrapper closed\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/59Vnh<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"s4bcs45\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76037614_800.webp 50w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76037614_801.webp 129w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76037614_802.webp 352w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76037614_803.webp 575w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 575px)\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" \/><figcaption class=\"c1oedowi lofg86o m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Many countries and European farmers fear the Mercosur deal will hurt their interests<small class=\"copyright c19ed66t ihwmx5 idu7i8u lxmvniw icns9en rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Image: Blondet Eliot\/ABACA\/abaca\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>The <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-commission\/t-17455066\">European Commission<\/a> will &#8220;proceed with [the] provisional application&#8221; of the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/mercosur\/t-66227303\">Mercosur<\/a> trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, European\u00a0Commission President\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/ursula-von-der-leyen\/t-70279537\">Ursula von der Leyen<\/a> announced on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement came after Uruguay and Argentina ratified the agreement on Thursday, paving the way for its provisional application.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve said before, when they are ready, we are ready,&#8221;\u00a0she said on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Brazil and Paraguay have yet to ratify the deal, but von der Leyen said they are expected to do so soon.<\/p>\n<p>The push to implement Mercosur comes as <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/trump-tariffs\/t-71496505\">US tariffs<\/a> and China&#8217;s hold on <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/rare-earth-elements\/t-64385013\">critical mineral supplies<\/a> pushes the 27-nation EU to forge a raft of <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/indian-trade-deal-provides-opportunity-for-german-carmakers\/a-75719169\">free trade deals with other nations<\/a> across the world.<\/p>\n<p>The European Comission&#8217;s move allows companies in the EU, Uruguay and Argentina to profit from new customs rules and other perks before the agreement formally enters into force.<\/p>\n<h2>Mercosur: A long time coming<\/h2>\n<p>After 25 years of negotiations, the Mercosur deal was signed in Paraguay on January 17, with the aim of creating a free trade zone of more than 700 million people.<\/p>\n<p>On January 21, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-parliament\/t-17455034\">European Parliament<\/a> narrowly decided to refer the agreement to the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-court-of-justice-ecj\/t-45002262\">European Court of Justice (ECJ)<\/a> for review before a final vote, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-parliament-votes-to-delay-mercosur-deal-in-court\/a-75593480\">delaying the deal&#8217;s implementation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, the commission president said: &#8220;Provisional application is by its nature provisional. The agreement can only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its consent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen is essentially sidestepping lawmakers before the treaty goes into full force \u2014 a move that will likely prompt criticism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our businesses, our workers\u00a0and our citizens will reap the benefits, and they should reap them as soon as possible,&#8221;\u00a0she added. &#8220;This is about resilience, this is about growth, and Europe shaping its own future.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She did not take questions after delivering her statement.<\/p>\n<h2>Farmers and environmentalists&#8217; concerns vs. jobs and increased trade<\/h2>\n<p>The Mercosur agreement has <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/eu-mercosur-trade-deal-angers-farmers-environmentalists\/a-73880624\">sparked fierce opposition from farmers and environmentalists<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>European farmers say they will be priced out of markets by cheap imports.<\/p>\n<p>France, the \u200bEU&#8217;s largest agricultural producer, has led the opposition to the deal and has unsuccessfully tried to block it.<\/p>\n<p>Reacting to von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement, French EU lawmaker Celine Imart accused the commission of &#8220;showing contempt&#8221; for farmers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The commission is sending a disastrous signal to our farmers, who are already struggling, and is further fuelling distrust of the European Union,&#8221; she told the French AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<p>French President Emmanuel Macron also slammed von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For France, it&#8217;s \u200ba surprise, a bad surprise, \u2060and \u200bfor the European \u200bParliament, it&#8217;s disrespectful,&#8221; \u200bMacron told \u200creporters on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Environmentalists fear increased EU demand for Mercosur agricultural products could\u00a0further fuel deforestation in South America.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of the deal also claim it has been worded in a way that would allow future trade agreements to be passed without EU member state consensus.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the deal see opportunities for the automotive sector, mechanical engineering and pharmaceuticals in\u00a0one of the world&#8217;s largest free trade zones.<\/p>\n<p>Johann Wadephul, the foreign minister of Germany, which has a large automotive industry, called the deal &#8220;historic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Germany will work tirelessly to help tap the full potential of this historic agreement,&#8221; he wrote in a social media post.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 EU, Mercosur sign landmark trade deal\" class=\"headline\">EU, Mercosur sign landmark trade deal<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-75548972\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"75548972\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/75542844_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:08\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260117_qmood07f_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p><em>Edited by: Rana Taha<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>The <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-commission\/t-17455066\">European Commission<\/a> will &#8220;proceed with [the] provisional application&#8221; of the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/mercosur\/t-66227303\">Mercosur<\/a> trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, European\u00a0Commission President\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/ursula-von-der-leyen\/t-70279537\">Ursula von der Leyen<\/a> announced on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement came after Uruguay and Argentina ratified the agreement on Thursday, paving the way for its provisional application.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve said before, when they are ready, we are ready,&#8221;\u00a0she said on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Brazil and Paraguay have yet to ratify the deal, but von der Leyen said they are expected to do so soon.<\/p>\n<p>The push to implement Mercosur comes as <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/trump-tariffs\/t-71496505\">US tariffs<\/a> and China&#8217;s hold on <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/rare-earth-elements\/t-64385013\">critical mineral supplies<\/a> pushes the 27-nation EU to forge a raft of <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/indian-trade-deal-provides-opportunity-for-german-carmakers\/a-75719169\">free trade deals with other nations<\/a> across the world.<\/p>\n<p>The European Comission&#8217;s move allows companies in the EU, Uruguay and Argentina to profit from new customs rules and other perks before the agreement formally enters into force.<\/p>\n<h2>Mercosur: A long time coming<\/h2>\n<p>After 25 years of negotiations, the Mercosur deal was signed in Paraguay on January 17, with the aim of creating a free trade zone of more than 700 million people.<\/p>\n<p>On January 21, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-parliament\/t-17455034\">European Parliament<\/a> narrowly decided to refer the agreement to the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-court-of-justice-ecj\/t-45002262\">European Court of Justice (ECJ)<\/a> for review before a final vote, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-parliament-votes-to-delay-mercosur-deal-in-court\/a-75593480\">delaying the deal&#8217;s implementation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, the commission president said: &#8220;Provisional application is by its nature provisional. The agreement can only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its consent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen is essentially sidestepping lawmakers before the treaty goes into full force \u2014 a move that will likely prompt criticism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our businesses, our workers\u00a0and our citizens will reap the benefits, and they should reap them as soon as possible,&#8221;\u00a0she added. &#8220;This is about resilience, this is about growth, and Europe shaping its own future.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She did not take questions after delivering her statement.<\/p>\n<h2>Farmers and environmentalists&#8217; concerns vs. jobs and increased trade<\/h2>\n<p>The Mercosur agreement has <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/eu-mercosur-trade-deal-angers-farmers-environmentalists\/a-73880624\">sparked fierce opposition from farmers and environmentalists<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>European farmers say they will be priced out of markets by cheap imports.<\/p>\n<p>France, the \u200bEU&#8217;s largest agricultural producer, has led the opposition to the deal and has unsuccessfully tried to block it.<\/p>\n<p>Reacting to von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement, French EU lawmaker Celine Imart accused the commission of &#8220;showing contempt&#8221; for farmers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The commission is sending a disastrous signal to our farmers, who are already struggling, and is further fuelling distrust of the European Union,&#8221; she told the French AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<p>French President Emmanuel Macron also slammed von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For France, it&#8217;s \u200ba surprise, a bad surprise, \u2060and \u200bfor the European \u200bParliament, it&#8217;s disrespectful,&#8221; \u200bMacron told \u200creporters on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Environmentalists fear increased EU demand for Mercosur agricultural products could\u00a0further fuel deforestation in South America.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of the deal also claim it has been worded in a way that would allow future trade agreements to be passed without EU member state consensus.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the deal see opportunities for the automotive sector, mechanical engineering and pharmaceuticals in\u00a0one of the world&#8217;s largest free trade zones.<\/p>\n<p>Johann Wadephul, the foreign minister of Germany, which has a large automotive industry, called the deal &#8220;historic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Germany will work tirelessly to help tap the full potential of this historic agreement,&#8221; he wrote in a social media post.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 EU, Mercosur sign landmark trade deal\" class=\"headline\">EU, Mercosur sign landmark trade deal<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-75548972\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"75548972\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/75542844_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:08\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260117_qmood07f_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p><em>Edited by: Rana Taha<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-commission\/t-17455066\">European Commission<\/a> will &#8220;proceed with [the] provisional application&#8221; of the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/mercosur\/t-66227303\">Mercosur<\/a> trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, European\u00a0Commission President\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/ursula-von-der-leyen\/t-70279537\">Ursula von der Leyen<\/a> announced on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement came after Uruguay and Argentina ratified the agreement on Thursday, paving the way for its provisional application.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve said before, when they are ready, we are ready,&#8221;\u00a0she said on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Brazil and Paraguay have yet to ratify the deal, but von der Leyen said they are expected to do so soon.<\/p>\n<p>The push to implement Mercosur comes as <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/trump-tariffs\/t-71496505\">US tariffs<\/a> and China&#8217;s hold on <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/rare-earth-elements\/t-64385013\">critical mineral supplies<\/a> pushes the 27-nation EU to forge a raft of <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/indian-trade-deal-provides-opportunity-for-german-carmakers\/a-75719169\">free trade deals with other nations<\/a> across the world.<\/p>\n<p>The European Comission&#8217;s move allows companies in the EU, Uruguay and Argentina to profit from new customs rules and other perks before the agreement formally enters into force.<\/p>\n<p>After 25 years of negotiations, the Mercosur deal was signed in Paraguay on January 17, with the aim of creating a free trade zone of more than 700 million people.<\/p>\n<p>On January 21, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-parliament\/t-17455034\">European Parliament<\/a> narrowly decided to refer the agreement to the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-court-of-justice-ecj\/t-45002262\">European Court of Justice (ECJ)<\/a> for review before a final vote, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-parliament-votes-to-delay-mercosur-deal-in-court\/a-75593480\">delaying the deal&#8217;s implementation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, the commission president said: &#8220;Provisional application is by its nature provisional. The agreement can only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its consent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen is essentially sidestepping lawmakers before the treaty goes into full force \u2014 a move that will likely prompt criticism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our businesses, our workers\u00a0and our citizens will reap the benefits, and they should reap them as soon as possible,&#8221;\u00a0she added. &#8220;This is about resilience, this is about growth, and Europe shaping its own future.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She did not take questions after delivering her statement.<\/p>\n<p>The Mercosur agreement has <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/eu-mercosur-trade-deal-angers-farmers-environmentalists\/a-73880624\">sparked fierce opposition from farmers and environmentalists<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>European farmers say they will be priced out of markets by cheap imports.<\/p>\n<p>France, the \u200bEU&#8217;s largest agricultural producer, has led the opposition to the deal and has unsuccessfully tried to block it.<\/p>\n<p>Reacting to von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement, French EU lawmaker Celine Imart accused the commission of &#8220;showing contempt&#8221; for farmers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The commission is sending a disastrous signal to our farmers, who are already struggling, and is further fuelling distrust of the European Union,&#8221; she told the French AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<p>French President Emmanuel Macron also slammed von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For France, it&#8217;s \u200ba surprise, a bad surprise, \u2060and \u200bfor the European \u200bParliament, it&#8217;s disrespectful,&#8221; \u200bMacron told \u200creporters on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Environmentalists fear increased EU demand for Mercosur agricultural products could\u00a0further fuel deforestation in South America.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of the deal also claim it has been worded in a way that would allow future trade agreements to be passed without EU member state consensus.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the deal see opportunities for the automotive sector, mechanical engineering and pharmaceuticals in\u00a0one of the world&#8217;s largest free trade zones.<\/p>\n<p>Johann Wadephul, the foreign minister of Germany, which has a large automotive industry, called the deal &#8220;historic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Germany will work tirelessly to help tap the full potential of this historic agreement,&#8221; he wrote in a social media post.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Rana Taha<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/eu-to-provisionally-implement-controversial-mercosur-deal\/a-76148877&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76037614_6.jpg&#8221;] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/59Vnh Many countries and European farmers fear the Mercosur deal will hurt their interestsImage: Blondet Eliot\/ABACA\/abaca\/picture alliance The European Commission will &#8220;proceed with [the] provisional application&#8221; of the Mercosur trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, European\u00a0Commission President\u00a0Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday. Von der Leyen&#8217;s announcement came after Uruguay [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-1796700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1796700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1796700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1796700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1796700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}