The French wishlist
During his seven-day trip to Latin America, Macron will also meet with Javier Milei, the chainsaw-wielding president of Argentina, a large beef-producing country whose exports, alongside Brazil’s, are seen as a threat by French beef producers.
But it is Macron’s expected bilateral meeting with Lula on the sidelines of the G20 that could prove decisive in unblocking the situation.
“The key leaders are Macron and Lula. If they say that we should move forward, then we can move forward,” said a diplomat from a Mercosur country. “The outcome often depends on a brief talk, in a single meeting.”
Should Macron and Lula find sufficient common ground, France could claim victory if some of its long-standing demands are taken into account in the final text.
For one, Paris worries that a glut of cheap agricultural products would flood the French market and undercut its farmers. In addition to requiring Mercosur farmers to meet production standards that are similar to those of their European counterparts, France wants any breach of the commitments made under the Paris climate agreement to be punished by sanctions, such as suspending the deal.
As previously revealed by POLITICO, a compensation fund has already been mooted in an effort to placate France. But according to one European diplomat, “the idea isn’t ripe yet, and the amount [earmarked] for it isn’t clear.” Farmers were quick to slam that proposal, interpreting it as a sign that the French government was losing its crusade to block the deal.
The Elysée official who spoke to reporters said the fund “is part of the discussion, but at this stage it’s not something that will change our position.”
The European Commission is working to reassure Paris that it is trying to convince Mercosur countries to accept French demands. A Commission official said this week that French requests — a statement that the Paris Agreement is an essential element of the deal, and the imposition of binding obligations against deforestation — are now the two main negotiation points for Brussels in the last stretch of talks.
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Publish date : 2024-11-14 15:27:00
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