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6d ago

Farmers Jam Paris as EU Sets Mercosur Signing for Jan. 17

Potential court reviews could still slow entry into force pending a European Parliament vote.

The EU-Mercosur deal is a diplomatic triumph for Ursula von der Leyen and Giorgia Meloni but France’s President Macron has been ‘effectively sidelined’
Tractors line up in front of the Arc de Triomphe as French farmers protest against the government's handling of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement and lumpy skin disease outbreak, in Paris, France, January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Overview

  • Police counted roughly 350 tractors clogging routes near France’s National Assembly as unions staged a new show of force, with similar protests reported in Ireland, Italy and Poland.
  • EU governments approved the pact on Jan. 9 despite opposition from France, Poland, Austria, Ireland and Hungary, after Italy switched to support it.
  • To clinch approval, the Commission coupled the deal with tighter import safeguards and a budget maneuver allowing up to €45 billion in early farm support.
  • More than 140 MEPs are seeking to refer the agreement to the EU Court of Justice, with a Parliament vote expected next week that could trigger a review lasting up to two years.
  • Poland said it would pursue a separate court challenge and Hungary signaled it would do so if the deal is signed, while the terms include 99,000 tonnes of additional beef access for Mercosur and a 30,000‑ton duty‑free cheese quota for the EU.