France calls to delay vote on EU-Mercosur trade deal

Paris says EU member states cannot vote on the trade agreement in its current state.Published On 14 Dec 2025France has urged the European Union to postpone a vote on a trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur, saying conditions are not yet in place for an agreement.In a statement from Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s office on Sunday, Paris said that EU member states cannot vote on the trade agreement in its current state.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Where in the world are wealth and income most unequal?list 2 of 3Trump’s $12bn aid package: Are tariffs bleeding US farmers?list 3 of 3Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies passes bill to lower Bolsonaro’s sentenceend of list“France asks that the deadlines be pushed back to continue work on getting the legitimate measures of protection for our European agriculture,” the statement added.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to visit Brazil on Monday to finalise the landmark trade pact, which the 27-member union has been negotiating with the Mercosur trade bloc for more than 20 years. The agreement is being negotiated with four Mercosur members: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.But the Commission first has to get the approval of the EU member states before signing any trade deal, and Paris has made its objection to the deal with the Mercosur countries clear.“Given a Mercosur summit is announced for December 20, it is clear in this context that the conditions have not been met for any vote [by states] on authorising the signing of the agreement,” the statement from Paris said.Earlier on Sunday, in an interview with the German financial daily Handelsblatt, French Minister of the Economy and Finance Roland Lescure also said that the treaty as it stands, “is simply not acceptable”.He added that securing robust and effective safeguard clauses was one of the three key conditions France set before giving its blessing to the agreement.