Press releases

EU Agri-Food Sectors Call for Swift Signature of the EU-Mercosur Agreement

Ahead of the upcoming Council vote on signature of the agreement, 10 agri-food sectors reaffirm the strategic importance of the EU-Mercosur FTA for the EU’s long-term competitiveness, economic resilience, and credibility, and call for its swift signature, ratification and implementation.

EU and Mercosur are long-standing allies. As our global landscape is marked by geopolitical instability, deepening our well-established trade relations is critical to strengthening the resilience of our economies, while simultaneously promoting rules-based trade and upholding our shared values.

A free-trade agreement with Mercosur will bring numerous benefits. Not only do Mercosur countries offer significant growth opportunities for European exports of high-quality product, they also serve as strategic suppliers of critical raw materials essential to Europe’s food and drink industries. Ensuring market access to European products, while guaranteeing the supply of these raw materials is of paramount importance to safeguarding our competitiveness and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector.

Accordingly, the EU-Mercosur agreement is of strategic relevance to the undersigned EU agri-food sector, offering a wide range of advantages for both the industry and European consumers:

• It will eliminate or reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers to allow new opportunities for the export of high-quality European foods and drinks.
• It will ensure access to strategic critical raw materials while diversifying the supply chains and enhancing the bloc’s resilience, as well as reduce exposure to disruptions in other parts of the world.
• It will provide consumers with a greater diversity of product.  
• It will better protect Geographical Indications (GIs) to continue the safeguard of Europe's high-quality standards.

Besides, building on a modern, balanced and responsible foundation, the agreement will also deepen cooperation and establish concrete commitments in key areas such as environmental protection, climate action, social and labour rights, and responsible trade. Agrifood standards will be upheld, while the limited concessions on sensitive products – alongside the agreed safeguards – will protect the EU against potential negative impact of the agreement.

The undersigned agri-food sectors EU agri-food sector fully support this agreement. This unified position reflects the shared understanding that this trade partnership is necessary for the EU’s growth, competitiveness and continued leadership in global agri-food markets.

We thus call on EU decision makers to seize this opportunity, secure timely signature of the agreement and speed up ratification.

Note to editors

• Contact person: Pauline Bastidon, Trade & Economic Affairs Director – bastidon@spirits.eu  – Mobile: +32 491391922