The European Parliament is racing to approve agricultural safeguards for the EU's trade accord with South American bloc Mercosur, in a fast-tracked procedure designed to allow European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to sign the deal in Brazil on December 20, according to three parliament officials.

The officials told Politico the institution's trade committee could greenlight the proposed import protections by early next week, with the full chamber potentially voting on November 20 to implement an urgent procedure that would clear one of the final legislative hurdles before signature.

The compressed schedule reflects intense political pressure on Brussels to complete the accord, which has been under negotiation for a quarter-century and would establish a free-trade area encompassing nearly 800mn people. European backing for the agreement has strengthened in recent months as member states seek to counter US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive and reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains.

Under the protection mechanisms unveiled last month, the Commission would establish rigorous oversight of imports for politically sensitive farm products including beef, poultry and sugar. The measures were crafted to placate concerns from doubtful member states led by France and Poland, both of which fear competition from South American producers. Brussels has indicated agricultural imports would remain negligible relative to European production, with beef capped at 1.5% of EU output and poultry at 1.3%.

The EU Council of Ministers is expected to approve the safeguards in the next few days. Following that endorsement, European institutions would need to provide final legislative approval for the instrument, which France and other hesitant members have identified as essential before backing the broader agreement.

The agreement between the EU and Mercosur — comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, plus newly added Bolivia — was concluded last December following 25 years of fraught negotiations. It still requires approval from the European Parliament and a qualified majority of member states, meaning 15 of 27 countries representing 65% of the EU population.

France, however, continues to maintain its opposition to the accord. Following this week's cabinet meeting, a government spokesperson told reporters that Paris finds the agreement unacceptable as currently structured, Reuters reported.

"[The deal] is still not acceptable. There is no ambiguity about France's position, as we speak," Maud Bregeon said on November 19.

French officials are pressing Brussels to swiftly introduce so-called mirror clauses for farm imports, she said. Paris is demanding protective provisions that would halt imports when domestic industries face significant disruption, alongside verification systems to confirm South American products comply with European regulatory requirements, Bregeon told reporters, according to Reuters.

Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard, though, has conceded that France lacks sufficient allies to prevent the deal's advancement.

Supporters of the accord, including Berlin and Madrid, argue it would help offset commercial losses from Trump’s protectionist policies whilst lessening European reliance on Beijing. Agricultural powerhouses including France, Ireland and Poland worry their farmers cannot compete with the productive agricultural sectors in Argentina and Brazil and voiced concerns over the enforcement of environmental standards in Latin America.

The economic stakes are substantial. Mercosur's four nations constitute the world's sixth-largest economy with 270mn inhabitants, whilst bilateral trade already exceeds €111bn annually — €55.2bn in EU exports and €56bn in imports in 2024, marking a 36% increase over the past decade, according to official EU data.

Under the proposed arrangement, the Mercosur nations would curb duties on 91% of EU imports, whilst securing improved market access for agricultural exports ranging from beef to ethanol. The Commission projects the accord could expand European exports by nearly two-fifths, generating €49bn in additional trade whilst eliminating prohibitive duties including 35% levies on vehicles, up to 20% on industrial equipment, and 14% on pharmaceutical products.

The deal offers crucial access to lithium and other critical minerals vital for Europe's green transition, currently dominated by Chinese suppliers. "Mercosur countries are among the largest global producers of lithium, iron ore, nickel and more," Von der Leyen wrote in an op-ed last year, adding that the partnership would "lower or remove export taxes" and "eliminate export restrictions and monopolies".

The December signing would coincide with the end of Brazil's rotating Mercosur presidency under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has strongly backed the deal.