Geopolitical opportunity or agricultural threat? The EU-Mercosur Agreement in perspective

• Florence School of Transnational Governance

This panel discussion is a collaboration between STG's Policy Leader Fellows, Master Students, and the Department of Law, and organized by the EUI Latam Focus Group

Aiming to explore the controversies surrounding the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement, this discussion will focus on the import of agricultural products into the EU and the associated environmental concerns in Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Increasing international rivalries and tariff clashes add a relevant geopolitical aspect that justifies a bigger EU presence in traditional Latin American partners.

A revamped agreement was announced in December 2024, while parts of European civil society question whether it is in their interest to close a long and dubious trade deal. Farmers have been hitting the streets of Brussels in coordinated protests, condemning green policies for the sector and attempts to connect the EU’s agrifood markets to third partners, including Mercosur.

A moderated conversation, followed by an interactive Q&A session, will approach the partnership agreement from three perspectives:

• What will change from its trade component;
• How it sits under current geopolitical tensions;
• What does it mean to the broader multilateral order.

Speakers:

• Bruno Capuzzi, Policy Leader Fellow, STG
• Isola Macchia, Researcher, Department of Law

Moderators:

• Andrea Garbo, MA Student, STG
• Salvador Lescano, MA Student, STG

Links:

• What’s at stake with Mercosur?
• Grumbling in the Fields: EU Agriculture and Trade