Overview

• The Commission confirmed it will append a legal instrument that reinforces safeguard measures for sensitive farm sectors, with investigations launched without delay and provisional actions possible within 21 days.
• EU officials said safeguards could be triggered by price or volume moves above 10% and signaled potential increases in CAP funds to compensate farmers if damage is proven.
• Paris welcomed the move as having heard its reservations but will analyze whether safeguards can be applied unilaterally by a single country and introduced on a temporary basis.
• Major farm lobbies, including FNSEA and Copa-Cogeca, condemned the push and announced protests in Brussels, while France’s Coordination rurale called the deal a “trahison programmée.”
• The pact promises tariff gains for EU industry and cites about €4 billion in annual savings, while allowing Mercosur quotas such as 99,000 t beef, 180,000 t poultry and 190,000 t sugar; Brussels aims for approval before end-2025, the add-on does not require renegotiation, and France would need a multi-state blocking minority to stop it.