France Rejects EU-Mercosur Deal Under Current Terms -- PM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Nov 13 (KUNA) -- French Prime Minister Michel Barnier said Wednesday that his country will not accept the EU-Mercosur agreement "under the current terms."
Barnier explained in a statement to the press after his meeting in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that he told her that "this agreement is unacceptable to France and will remain so," adding that he advises "against overriding the position of a country like France."
The Mercosur bloc was established in 1991, standing for the "Southern Common Market" (Mercado Comun del Sur), and includes five countries: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
The EU seeks to strengthen its partnership with this group through a joint agreement before the end of the year.
However, the blueprint of the deal sparked controversy and faces strong opposition particularly from France.
The French sectors of beef, poultry, grains, and sugar have already expressed their opposition to the EU-Mercosur deal.
And a coalition of major agricultural trade unions in France has called for a demonstration by farmers against the deal on 18 November.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she knows she can "count on France to move forward on the great European project of competitiveness," adding that "a stronger and more sovereign Europe also means a more prosperous France." (end)
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