German Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir is now also demanding stricter conditions. On Saturday evening, Özdemir departed with Economy Minister Robert Habeck (also from the Greens) and a German business delegation to Brazil and Colombia. According to Özdemir, after the election of the new Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the door to protect the Amazon rainforest has reopened.
Özdemir stated that the German coalition government will only agree to a Mercosur agreement 'if sustainable development is firmly and bindingly anchored. For me, that means: stop deforestation of the rainforest!'
The EU has been negotiating a free trade agreement with Mercosur for years. Initially, it was mainly France that opposed the negotiated trade deal, while several Central European countries expressed concerns because their agro-food companies would face competition from cheaper South American imports.
Also, in the Dutch parliament, more voices are emerging against approving the current treaty text. The fact that the Swedish EU Presidency is postponing the decision until an actual summit suggests that simple adjustments through an addendum no longer suffice.
Irish Trade Minister Simon Coveney said that Dublin, like France, is cautious about a larger import of beef. He said he expects that a definitive deal could be reached this year.