Overview
- EU member-state ambassadors approved the agreement on Friday by 21–5, with Ireland, France, Austria, Hungary and Poland opposed, and the deal now moves to a European Parliament ratification vote.
- Thousands of farmers mounted a rolling tractor protest in Athlone, where police warned of major traffic disruption and organizers urged a peaceful demonstration.
- Farm groups, led by the Irish Farmers' Association, warn the pact’s 99,000-tonne beef quota could undercut producers and question whether imports will meet EU environmental and food-safety standards.
- The European Commission has proposed safeguards and support, including emergency import brakes, stricter sanitary and pesticide checks, and accelerated access to up to €45 billion in farm funding.
- A signing in Paraguay has been signaled for next week, contingent on political clearance, as lobbying intensifies ahead of an unpredictable vote in the European Parliament.