The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, expressed this Wednesday his confidence that The trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur can be unblocked “this week” with a “step forward” by Italy that allows the adoption, by qualified majority, of the mandate necessary to authorize its signature.
The calendar now includes the permanent ambassadors of the Member States to the EU, who have planned vote on the agreement this Fridaywith the possibility that the signing may occur in the days immediately following.
“I understand from the words of the Italian Minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, like those of the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, yesterday, that Italy is going to take a step forward. And this means that we hope that this week the agreement that allows the signature of Mercosur can be adopted by a qualified majority,” the minister stated.
At the same time, Planas explained that the meeting has been “necessary and timely” for “restore the confidence of European farmers“, after the discontent expressed last December over the proposals of the European Commission, especially in relation to the CAP and other aspects of the agricultural agenda.
In this context, he has valued the community proposal of advance liquidity worth about 45 billion euros linked to the objectives of the CAP, although he has warned that the budget debate “has not concluded” and that there is still a long way to go in the negotiation.
