EU Sets Friday Vote on Mercosur Deal After Farm Concessions Sway Italy, France Resists

Overview

• EU ambassadors are slated to decide on January 9 whether to authorise Ursula von der Leyen to sign the Mercosur pact, with reports indicating a possible signing as early as January 12.
• In Brussels, the Commission outlined early access to roughly €45 billion for farmers, a guaranteed €293.7 billion PAC envelope, a doubled €6.3 billion market‑crisis reserve, and about €40 billion in added research funding.
• Additional measures include cutting tariffs on nitrogen fertilisers and temporarily exempting fertiliser imports from the EU carbon levy with effect from January 1.
• France imposed a one‑year suspension on imports containing five pesticides banned in the EU, a decree the Commission must review within 10 days with options to maintain, expand EU‑wide, or reject.
• Italy has moved toward support as Germany and Spain back the deal, but France, Poland, Hungary, and Ireland say they will vote against, and French farmers mounted large tractor protests across Paris.