"The contentious Mercosur deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, prompted immediate protests in Poland, France, Greece and Belgium, with farmers blocking key roads in Paris, Brussels and Warsaw. Opposition parties in France from the far left and the far right also seized on the deal, agreed in principle on Friday, to try to topple Emmanuel Macron's government with a motion tabled for a vote of no confidence."
"The member state approvals end months of wrangling in Brussels and a last-minute hitch before Christmas when Italy's opposition threatened to collapse the deal. France, Poland, Austria, Ireland and Hungary voted against while Belgium abstained. Italy's Giorgia Meloni, long seen as a key vote, backed it, allowing the landmark deal to be adopted under qualified majority voting rules. The European parliament must approve the deal to bring it into force,"
"Supporters of the deal say it will help deepen the EU's economic cooperation with the global south, where China is already seeking alliances in the wake of the disruption Donald Trump has caused to the international trade order. It will also help the EU wean itself off China for critical minerals and rare earths vital for the auto and tech sectors as these elements are abundant in the Mercosur countries."
The European Union reached approval for a long-awaited free trade agreement with Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, ending 25 years of negotiations. Several member states voted against or abstained, while Italy's backing enabled adoption by qualified majority. The deal prompted immediate farmer protests and political backlash in multiple EU countries. The European Parliament must still approve the agreement before it takes effect, and the European Commission president is expected to sign it formally. Supporters argue the pact strengthens economic ties with the global south and secures access to critical minerals and rare earths abundant in Mercosur countries, particularly Brazil and Argentina.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]