Emmanuel Macron France has announced that it will vote against the signing of the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay). Despite progress made with the European Commission, it believes the text is not adequate to fully protect French and European agriculture and food sovereignty.
On X, the President of the Republic published a long message to explain this decision:
"France has decided to vote against the signing of the agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries. France supports international trade, but the EU-Mercosur agreement is an outdated agreement.negotiated for too long on outdated terms (1999 mandate).
While trade diversification is necessary, the economic gain from the EU-Mercosur agreement will be limited for French and European growth (+0,05% on EU GDP by 2040 according to the Commission).
It does not justify exposing sensitive agricultural sectors that are essential to our food sovereignty.
Since the announcement that negotiations would end in December 2024, I have tirelessly campaigned for a fairer agreement to protect our farmers. On this basis, we have achieved concrete progress, which the European Commission must acknowledge.
We had made 3 requests, which have evolved in the right direction:
1. A specific safeguard clause, an "emergency brake" on agricultural imports from Mercosur countries in the event of market instability in Europe, can be activated if the prices and volumes of imported agricultural products fluctuate by just 5%, at the request of a single Member State or representatives of agricultural sectors. Safeguard measures, including import suspensions, can be imposed very quickly.
2. Reciprocal measures on production conditions (mirror measures). Our producers adhere to the most ambitious standards in the world regarding health, the environment, and animal welfare. Imported products must be subject to the same conditions, particularly concerning pesticides, animal feed, and the use of antibiotics, to avoid unfair competition with our farmers. The Commission has announced that it will implement this reciprocity for several of the pesticide substances we have banned. This effort must continue.
3. Strengthening of sanitary controls. We have secured increased veterinary and phytosanitary audits in third countries to ensure compliance with regulations. The establishment of a task force within the European Commission foreshadows the European sanitary control force that France has long advocated.
Several of these advances still need to be finalized; France will ensure this.
We have also obtained major commitments from the European Commission, confirmed at the meeting on agriculture on January 7 in Brussels:
Regarding the amount of direct CAP aid in the next multiannual budget of the European Union, an additional 45 billion euros will be available from 2028, beyond the nearly 294 billion earmarked for direct aid to agricultural income.
Regarding fertilizers, there will be no price increase linked to the carbon border tax of the Union.
Despite these undeniable advances, the fact must be noted that there was a unanimous political rejection of the agreement, as shown by the debates in the National Assembly and the Senate.
In this context, France will vote against signing the agreement.
The signing is not the end of the story. I will continue to fight for the full implementation of the commitments made and to protect our farmers.
At the European level, the priority today remains to accelerate our agenda for protection, competitiveness, and investment.
The agreement can be signed without France
It should be noted that the EU-Mercosur agreement could be signed by the European Commission on January 12, 2026, even without French support, but it still needs to be ratified by all member states and the European Parliament before entering into force. France's position is still likely to influence the debate, particularly regarding protection measures and standards.
