Overview
- Macron conveyed the stance in a meeting with farmers in Toulouse after roughly 300 protesters arrived on tractors near his event.
- Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said France cannot validate the text without robust safeguard clauses, mirror measures or tighter border controls.
- The minister stressed that France will stay extremely firm and reject food imports that fail to meet rules applied to domestic producers.
- The European Commission validated the draft on September 3, but unanimity by 27 EU states is required, leaving ratification stalled by France’s position.
- Macron had sounded more positive in Brazil before later saying from Mexico that Paris still awaits clear answers, a sequence that drew backlash from farm groups.