Argentina’s President Javier Milei warned Brussels not to “restrict” the newly signed EU-Mercosur trade deal with safeguards.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Asunción, Paraguay on Saturday, Milei argued that the market access negotiated over more than two decades must be preserved during the implementation of the deal.
Any new “mechanisms that restrict that access” – including safeguard clauses, quotas or “measures of equivalent effect” – would, he said, significantly dilute the agreement’s economic impact and undermine its central purpose.
“We must ensure, through our parliaments, that this does not happen,” he added.
EU governments and MEPs recently agreed on stricter and more detailed safeguard provisions aimed at easing farmers’ concerns. The mechanism targets “sensitive” products including poultry, beef, rice, honey, eggs, citrus, garlic, ethanol and sugar, and sets out conditions under which tariff-free imports can be suspended.
Milei also singled out Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for praise, calling her a “good friend” whose “commitment and support” were decisive in sealing the deal.
But Meloni has also been one of the strongest advocates for tightening safeguards to shore up political backing in Europe – a push that led to the delay of the deal’s signing, initially expected in December 2025.
Milei also praised US President Donald Trump, applauding his “determination” in what he described as the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whom he labelled a “narco-terrorist”. Venezuela is a Mercosur member, but has been suspended from the bloc since 2016 over democratic concerns.
(vib)