France is pushing to postpone a European Union vote to ratify a trade deal with the Mercosur bloc of four South American countries, citing concerns about its effects on farmers and ongoing protests at home. The move risks derailing an accord that has been 25 years in the making.The EU’s trade agreement with Mercosur, which comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was concluded a year ago but still awaits ratification. It is intended to expand access to overseas markets for European exporters struggling with tariffs imposed recently by the United States and rising competition from China.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listHowever, the pact has met strong opposition from farmers across Europe, who worry that a flood of cheap agricultural imports produced under the more relaxed environmental and agricultural standards of some South American countries will put them under too much pressure.Securing a resolution to this is viewed by some as a test of Europe’s ability to act as a unified bloc, shortly after US President Donald Trump hit out at EU leaders for being “weak” and warning of “civilisational erasure” across the bloc.What is in the EU-Mercosur trade deal?Once ratified, the trade deal between the European and South American blocs would be the largest free-trade agreement brokered by Brussels in terms of tariff relief.While talks initially began in 1999, progress has been repeatedly stalled by competing interests. For years, EU farmers voiced concerns about excessively cheap agricultural imports, while environmentalists have raised objections over deforestation in the Amazon. Advert …
