France’s permanent representative in Brussels, who represents France at EU level, said Paris continued to insist the deal was unacceptable.
“The Permanent Representative constantly reminds all interlocutors of France’s position that this text is unacceptable in its current state. She recalls that other Member States also share this position,” the spokesperson said. said.
The EU and Mercosur concluded formal negotiations in 2019, but the EU will add additional conditions to address concerns about deforestation and climate change and to allay French farmers’ fears over a glut of Latin American agricultural products. Therefore, the signing of the agreement was postponed.
France insists it is not opposed to free trade agreements per se, but simply wants to see its environmental and agricultural demands met. Indeed, many French manufacturers support the agreement, in stark contrast to farmers. French diplomats balked at what he called a “satire of the French position.”
“We are not against free trade per se. We need a good agreement with all the guarantees,” the French diplomat said. “We call on the European Commission to include strong elements in the negotiations on mirror clauses that protect the climate, deforestation, agricultural interests, a level playing field and access to vital primary resources.”
But the worrying fact for the French is that other EU member states are no longer as afraid to stand up to Paris as they once were.