Mercosur Agreement Clears EU Vote After Long Negotiations
Pact removes 4 billion euros in duties, aiming to boost 111 billion euros of evenly split trade and access 280 million Latin American consumers.
Import controls include pesticide checks, crisis fund, market monitoring, and quotas on beef, poultry, and sugar.
France, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and Ireland voted against while Belgium abstained.
French farmers protested near Eiffel Tower on 8 Jan 2026.
EU Parliament consent required; Bernd Lange confident deal will pass, Ursula von der Leyen expected to travel soon.