Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed caution regarding the imminent signing of the EU free-trade agreement with Mercosur countries. She emphasized that signing the deal in the coming days would be premature and called for mutual guarantees, especially concerning the agriculture sector. Concerns have also been raised by France, which seeks protective measures for its farmers, while Germany is pushing for the agreement’s conclusion.

The EU-Mercosur deal, involving Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, has been under negotiation for over 25 years. The agreement aims to eliminate most tariffs between the two trading blocs and is expected by the European Commission to increase exports to Mercosur countries by nearly 40 percent. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was originally scheduled to travel to Brazil at the end of the week to sign the agreement.