PARIS (Reuters) – France is not opposed to the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of South American Countries (Mercosur) but it does not want of a botched agreement that could be rejected by national parliaments, the Minister Delegate for Trade, Olivier Becht, told Reuters on Wednesday.
“It’s an agreement that must be balanced”, in particular respecting the environmental imperatives of the Paris Climate Agreement, underlined Olivier Becht, interviewed from Brazil, where he takes part in a forum organized by Brazilian employers and French.
The European Commission has made a free trade agreement with the four Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) a priority as Brussels seeks new allies to reduce its dependence on China and the United States.
France, which knows such an agreement is unpopular, especially among its farmers subject to stricter environmental and health rules than their South American competitors, insists that such an agreement respond to EU concerns, particularly in terms of deforestation. .
“We have to give time to time,” said Olivier Becht, while Spain, which will hold the rotating presidency of the EU for six months from July 1, seems in a hurry to reach an agreement.
“We obviously have to conclude,” continued the minister. “The negotiations have been going on for 23 years. But the fact that the negotiations have been going on for 23 years also means that we are not close to two months.”
Olivier Becht has indicated that he will travel to Madrid next week to tell his Spanish counterpart that France understands the strategic interest of such an agreement, while warning them against any haste.
He stressed that Paris would ask Brussels for national parliaments to be able to express themselves on the subject because of the political nature of the agreement. Commercial policy is an exclusive prerogative of the European Commission and the parliaments of the 27 Member States are not automatically consulted.
(Report by Michel Rose, written by Tangi Salaün)
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