Overview
- EU member states approved the agreement by qualified majority on January 9, with France, Hungary, Austria, Ireland and Poland among those opposed.
- Ursula von der Leyen plans to sign the accord in Paraguay on January 17 before any European Parliament vote, which has not yet been scheduled.
- Farmer actions intensified across Europe, including 350 tractors blocking central Paris routes, 30 tonnes of potatoes dumped near the National Assembly, and the removal of about 70 EU flags from town halls in Loir‑et‑Cher, with protests also reported in northern Germany.
- Hungary says it will file a case at the EU Court to prevent the deal’s entry into force if it is signed, arguing the safeguards for EU producers are inadequate.
- The Commission says support in Parliament is not guaranteed and will lobby MEPs in the coming weeks, notes the text allows provisional application, and faces a planned January 20 protest by farm groups at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.