EU: Safeguards for Farmers After Mercosur Agreement

The European Parliament has approved additional safeguards to protect the European agricultural sector, ahead of the EU–Mercosur trade agreement. The new regulation allows the EU to temporarily suspend tariff preferences if increased imports cause damage to European producers.

The European Commission will launch an investigation when imports of sensitive agricultural products increase by 5% on average over three years and import prices are at least 5% lower than EU prices. An investigation can also be requested by a member state or agricultural sector bodies.

The rapporteur of the agreement, Gabriel Mato, stated that the new safeguard clauses strengthen market monitoring and allow for faster intervention. The regulation is expected to enter into force after approval by the EU Council.