Mercosur, EU Parliament green light for safeguard clauses
The motion passed with 431 votes in favour, 70 abstentions and 161 against
Green light from the plenary session of the European Parliament to the safeguard clauses proposed by the Commission for the agreement between the EU and Mercosur. The placet came with 431 votes in favour, 70 abstentions and 161 against. The interinstitutional trialogue on the safeguard measures will start already this afternoon. The clauses are one of the key points of the outline agreement proposed by the EU executive but, at the moment, the yes of the majority of the 27 is far from certain.
The bill aims to establish the modalities by which the EU can temporarily suspend tariff preferences on agricultural products from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, if such imports cause damage to EU producers.
The parliamentary International Trade Committee adopted its position on Monday 8 December. The bilateral safeguard clause in question is an integral part of both the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement and the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement. Both still have to be ratified: the trade agreement requires a vote of assent by the European Parliament, whereas the partnership agreement needs ratification by the European Parliament and all EU Member States.
