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Belgium will not help France with a blocking minority against the Mercosur agreement

by AI | 03.Dec 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Belgium will have to abstain in the discussion on the approval of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. That says Minister of Agriculture David Clarinval.

Protest against the working and living conditions of farmers, on February 26, 2024, in Brussels. - Photo: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa

Brussels – Belgium will not assist France in finding a blocking minority to prevent the signing of the trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries. This was stated on Tuesday by outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture David Clarinval (MR).

Belgium can only adopt a clear position in European discussions when the regions and the federal (Belgian) level are aligned. However, this alignment is lacking in the debate over the Mercosur agreement, Clarinval said on the LN24 broadcaster. “Some Flemish parties do not share the same opinion as the southern part of the country,” he explained. Several French-speaking parties are willing to agree to the signing of the deal only if so-called mirror clauses are included. These clauses would ensure that competitors of European agricultural and industrial companies in the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay) adhere to the same rules and conditions.

The European Commission can sign the agreement on behalf of the EU, but France is attempting to form a blocking minority. This minority must consist of at least four EU member states representing more than 35 percent of the EU’s population. Poland has already aligned with France.

Due to a lack of consensus between the regions and the federal level, Belgium will likely have to abstain. “We will not be able to support France’s call for a blocking minority, but we will also not support the text in its current form,” Clarinval clarified Belgium’s position.

03/12/2024