Hundreds of farmers staged a protest in Paris on Tuesday against the proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur.
The demonstration, organized by the agricultural union Confederation Paysanne, began at the Esplanade des Invalides and ended at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Protesters carried banners, chanted slogans, and drove tractors in a show of opposition to the EU-Mercosur agreement which.
First negotiated in 2019, the agreement has faced growing opposition from European farmers and environmental groups, who argue it could harm domestic producers and accelerate deforestation in the Amazon.
The EU-Mercosur deal is hailed by the EU as "a win win-win for both the EU and Mercosur countries by creating opportunities for growth, jobs and sustainable development on both sides."
The Mercosur countries include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, while the deal is expected to create the world's largest free trade zone for over 700 million consumers.
The EU is Mercosur's second-largest trading partner in goods, with exports of €57 billion in 2024. The EU accounts for a quarter of total Mercosur trade in services, with EU exports to the region amounting to €29 billion in 2023.
The EU is also the biggest foreign investor in Mercosur, with a stock of €390 billion in 2023. While the relationship is substantial, both exporters and potential investors face barriers in Mercosur markets.
According to the EU, the goals of the new trade deal include increasing bilateral trade and investment, and lowering tariff and non-tariff trade barriers - notably for small and medium-sized enterprises.
In a statement released on its trade and policy website, it also said the deal would crate more stable and predictable rules for trade and investment through better and stronger rules in the area of
It also said it would promote shared values and sustainable development, including by strengthening worker’s rights, fighting climate change, ensuring environmental protection, and encouraging responsible business conduct.
The deal also includes protections for 344 EU geographical indications, limits on sensitive agricultural imports such as beef and poultry, and robust safeguards against import surges, supplemented by a proposed legal act to address farmers' concerns.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
China has announced plans to complete the world's first AI-driven geological map of Mars by the end of 2028, a project that aims to reconstruct the red planet's ancient water history and introduce a Chinese framework for Martian geological time that Beijing hopes will become a new global standard.
Norway’s parliament on Wednesday began public hearings into ties between late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Norwegian diplomats and politicians, as authorities face questions over the impact of those relationships on the country’s foreign service.
New York prosecutors have reopened a criminal investigation into allegations that seven Cornell University fraternity members sexually assaulted a student in 2024. The case is set to be presented to a grand jury following renewed scrutiny.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared that Brexit has done more harm than good, while reaffirming support for Ukraine and NATO as he used his first Labour conference speech as leader to set out a new direction for Britain.
The arrival in South Korea of two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia has created a rare legal, diplomatic and humanitarian case, raising questions over their status, security and future.
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