Macron says he is 'quite positive' about the possibility of accepting the Mercosur-EU agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron declared himself "quite positive" on Thursday, June 6th, about the possibility of accepting the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, which has been heavily criticized in France, although he stated that he remains "vigilant."

"I am quite positive, but I remain vigilant because I also defend the interests of France." "Macron told reporters on the sidelines of the summit of heads of state preceding COP30 in Belém do Pará."

“We were heard by the [European] Commission, which not only gave us a positive response regarding the safeguard clauses, but also wanted to offer support, especially to the livestock sector, in addition to strengthening the protections of our internal market by reinforcing our customs union,” Macron added.

"In the coming weeks," the European Commission will work with Mercosur "to ensure that these clauses are accepted," he added.

Intended to liberalize trade between the European Union, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the treaty was agreed upon at the end of 2024.

Approved on September 3, 2025 by the European Commission, The text still needs to be ratified by the 27 member countries before it can come into effect. .

Macron had previously stated on several occasions that this agreement was not "acceptable in its current state," while French farmers fear "unfair competition" from South Americans.

“I have been consistent from the beginning. I said that, in its current state, it was not acceptable, and that is why I say it is being modified. And then, if these clauses are implemented correctly, since they did not exist in the agreement, at that point we will consider that this agreement can be acceptable,” the French president stated in Belém.

On Wednesday, at the end of a meeting between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Brazilian Presidency announced in a statement that they were "prepared to sign" the agreement during the Mercosur summit on December 20th in Rio de Janeiro.