The EU-Mercosur agreement has to be complemented in order to effectively protect the agricultural sector and uphold European standards - Joint statement by France and Poland (July 7, 2025)

France and Poland call for the EU-Mercosur agreement to be complemented in order to effectively protect the agricultural sector and uphold European standards.

France and Poland are thus aligned on the need to find a better balance within the Mercosur agreement between promoting the free trade to which the European Union is committed and safeguarding Europe’s strategic interests including food security and food safety.

France and Poland reaffirm their support for fair and reciprocal free trade, and for sustainable trade agreements, which are key drivers of growth, market access, and international influence for our companies.

However, Poland and France consider that, as it currently stands, this agreement does not fulfil the necessary conditions to protect European farmers from market disruption risks and to sustainably secure the continent’s food sovereignty.

Mr Haddad and Mr Szłapka share the view that a specific agricultural safeguard clause for the sensitive products should be included in the EU-Mercosur agreement, to enable a swift and effective response — based on clear criteria — in the event of a market disruption threat or proven harm to our sectors,at the level of one or more Member States.

Furthermore, the EU-Mercosur agreement does not sufficiently guarantee the protection of our sanitary, environmental, animal welfare and social standards, nor does it ensure the level playing field among producers that we strongly advocate. This is why it is equally essential for the European Union to effectively implement mirror measures and rigorous sanitary and phytosanitary controls, which are vital to ensure fair competition and protect consumers.

The partners are convinced that European solidarity will be crucial to reaching an agreement that benefits all parties.