Mercosur signing delayed until January, von der Leyen tells leaders

 

Mercosur signing delayed until January, von der Leyen tells leaders

 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni requested postponement of the signature to reassure farmers.

 

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December 18, 2025 8:22 pm CET

By Camille Gijs

https://www.politico.eu/article/mercosur-signing-delayed-until-january-von-der-leyen-tells-leaders/

 

BRUSSELS ―European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU leaders at their summit on Thursday that the Mercosur trade won’t be signed as scheduled on Saturday and instead would wait until next month, two EU diplomats told POLITICO.

 

Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he agreed to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s request to postpone the signature so she can reassure the country’s farmers that they wouldn’t be undercut by cheap poultry and beef, von der Leyen told the group, according to one of the diplomats.

 

An eleventh-hour turnaround from Meloni threw into disarray a self-imposed objective of signing the agreement on Dec. 20 with the Mercosur countries, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

 

But pro-Mercosur countries, led by Germany, are pushing to get guarantees that a new signing date is found.

 

“A date would be found mid-January if the signing is kicked to 2026,” an EU official told POLITICO.

 

Meloni asked the Brazilian leader for more time to back the agreement, he said on Thursday, so she can secure domestic support in favor of the deal.

 

Several countries supporting the deal, led by Germany, warned in recent days that any further hold-up on the deal could ultimately kill the trade deal. They are concerned that further stalling could embolden opposition in the European Parliament or complicate next steps when Paraguay, which is skeptical toward the agreement, takes over the presidency of the Mercosur bloc from current holder Brazil at the end of the year.

 

In a bid to alleviate concerns from farmers across the bloc, EU institutions on Wednesday night rushed to approve a supplementary text that would reimpose tariffs if Latin American poultry and beef imports destabilize European markets.