France says it is seeking to block EU-Mercosur pact by ‘all means’

France’s finance minister on Thursday said his government is doing everything it can to block the adoption of a trade pact between the European Union and four South American countries.

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French farmers have protested against the trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc and Paris is leading resistance against ratification of the deal that would create the world’s largest free trade zone.
French farming unions have promised to step up protests from Monday, November 18th, to coincide with the start of G20 meetings in Brazil.
READ ALSO What to expect from the new French farmer protests
“We are employing all means, including institutional and voting at the European level, to ensure that (the) Mercosur (deal) is not adopted in its current form,” Antoine Armand told the SudRadio broadcaster.
France is seeking to “persuade” its partners, “who sometimes hesitate”, to halt the agreement, he said.

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On Wednesday, Prime Minister Michel Barnier had already told EU chief Ursula von der Leyen that “this deal is unacceptable for France”.
The blockbuster trade pact between the 27-country EU and the Mercosur nations – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – has been 25 years in the making.
The contours of a deal were agreed in 2019 but some EU states blocked its ratification over environmental concerns.

Chief opponent France is still trying to stop it in its tracks – with angry farmers staging fresh protests on Wednesday in both Paris and Brussels against an accord they fear would flood the European bloc with cheaper agricultural goods.
But EU officials point to a real push inside the commission – which handles trade policy on behalf of member states – to force a Mercosur deal over the line with or without France.

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French farmers have protested against the trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc and Paris is leading resistance against ratification of the deal that would create the world’s largest free trade zone.
French farming unions have promised to step up protests from Monday, November 18th, to coincide with the start of G20 meetings in Brazil.
READ ALSO What to expect from the new French farmer protests
“We are employing all means, including institutional and voting at the European level, to ensure that (the) Mercosur (deal) is not adopted in its current form,” Antoine Armand told the SudRadio broadcaster.
France is seeking to “persuade” its partners, “who sometimes hesitate”, to halt the agreement, he said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Michel Barnier had already told EU chief Ursula von der Leyen that “this deal is unacceptable for France”.
The blockbuster trade pact between the 27-country EU and the Mercosur nations – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – has been 25 years in the making.
The contours of a deal were agreed in 2019 but some EU states blocked its ratification over environmental concerns.
Chief opponent France is still trying to stop it in its tracks – with angry farmers staging fresh protests on Wednesday in both Paris and Brussels against an accord they fear would flood the European bloc with cheaper agricultural goods.
But EU officials point to a real push inside the commission – which handles trade policy on behalf of member states – to force a Mercosur deal over the line with or without France.