Brussels, January 9, 2026 – A majority of EU states today gave the EU Commission the mandate to sign the controversial trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur states. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is now planning to travel to Paraguay next week to symbolically seal the agreement between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. In order for the agreement to be officially valid, the EU Parliament must give its approval in the coming months. The European Council was still divided in December 2025. France and Italy in particular blocked the decision at the time. Now the Italian government has given in. The federal government is pushing the agreement primarily to secure sales of German export goods such as pesticides and combustion cars. Opponents of the deal criticize the fact that the contract not only cements trade in such climate-damaging products, but also actively promotes it.
For Greenpeace-Handelsexpertin Lis Cunha The EU Commission and the Federal Government are ignoring the concerns of millions of citizens:
“With this agreement, the federal government is undermining the protection of the rainforest promised by Chancellor Merz at the World Climate Conference. The EU’s understandable desire for new trading partners must not come at the expense of the climate and nature. This agreement harms the climate, destroys the Amazon rainforest and thus accelerates the ecological crisis. The EU must not give in to such an anti-future agreement.
Lis Cunha, Greenpeace-Handelsexpertin
Ursula von der Leyen wants to act as if the Mercosur agreement had already been concluded – but it is not. The European Parliament still has an important say in this agreement. Now it is up to the German Greens, Volt and SPD MEPs to act decisively and reject this toxic treaty that is harmful to the climate and the environment. An aggressive Trump administration is not reason enough to sacrifice the Amazon rainforest. The EU-Mercosur deal must be completely renegotiated – otherwise we risk our future.
Lis Cunha, Greenpeace-Handelsexpertin
Background and next steps: The EU and Mercosur countries have been negotiating the free trade agreement since 1999. It is intended to reduce or eliminate tariffs on goods that are harmful to the climate and the environment, such as beef, soy, pesticides, cars and single-use plastic. The EU already has good trade relations with the Mercosur countries. Car, chemical, agricultural and plastic companies in particular would benefit from tariff reductions. Increased export demand could destroy more rainforest in South America to create agricultural land. The EU Parliament will make a final decision on the agreement in the coming months.
For Queries Please contact trade expert Lis Cunha, Tel. +32 471 013 708, lis.cunha@greenpeace.org Greenpeace press office: Tel. 040/30618-340, presse@greenpeace.de, presseportal.greenpeace.de, www.greenpeace.de
