French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and minister for state Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne have moved to reassure members of the French parliament on the Mercosur deal. Responding to questions on the agreement in the French parliament this week, they particularly emphasised that there would be:

  • Full compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement.
  • Protection of environmental and health standards.
  • Protection of certain sectors with a safeguard clause.
  • They were keen to emphasise that these were French initiatives for which they secured support from other countries and that getting a safeguard clause installed was a first in a free trade agreement.

    Lemoyne also emphasised that they would be paying particular attention to the final text and that an independent impact assessment will be carried out. He also emphasised the French commitment to defending their agricultural way of life. He said that France opposed reopening talks with the US when it pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement and had the same approach to Brazil, which is committed to stopping deforestation and replanting of 12m hectares.

    These are the safeguards emphasised by European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan in his interview with the Irish Farmers Journal earlier this week.