"As for the safeguard clauses, I had large hopes that they would actually improve the destiny of farmers.
Unfortunately, this is an illusion and a fiction, due to the fact that they are only expected to reassure the consciences of those who take work for the abolition of European agriculture, and to a tiny degree improve this situation," says Newseria Waldemar Buda, associate of the European Parliament of Law and Justice, who voted in the EP against the EU agreement with the Mercosur countries, recognising the clauses as insufficient.
At the European Parliament's work stage, MEPs tried to strengthen protective instruments by proposing their amendments
The fresh days have brought a number of changes to the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. The European Parliament has supported with any amendments the regulation implementing the bilateral safeguard clause, which aims to better defend the interests of European farmers. However, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, any of the proposals were re-amended during trilateral negotiations with another EU institutions. The force at the end of the work is expanding and the voices of opposition are increasing. On Thursday 18 December, 10,000 farmers protested on the streets of Brussels, among others, against this agreement.
In October 2025, the European Commission proposed a regulation on safeguard procedures for imports of agricultural goods from Mercosur, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It specifies how the EU can temporarily suspend tariff preferences for imports of certain agricultural products considered delicate (such as poultry or beef) if it considers that specified imports harm Union producers. At the European Parliament's work stage, MEPs tried to strengthen protective instruments by proposing their amendments. On 16 December, the EP advocated, among another things, that the EC should initiate procedures for the launch of safeguard measures in the event of an increase in imports of delicate agricultural products by an average of 5% over 3 years (compared to 10% in the Commission's proposal) or a decrease in the price of a given product by 5%. In addition, the amendments besides included quarterly reporting of the marketplace situation, shortening safeguard procedures and introducing more automatic action by the European Commission.
The EP adopted an amendment including a reciprocity mechanism
"Key amendments on the safety clauses and effective protection of Polish farmers found a majority in the European Parliament," said Krzysztof Hetman, associate of the European Parliament of the PSL on Tuesday after the vote. "The European Parliament has accepted the call for a Brazilian or Argentine farmer who wants to produce on the Union marketplace to do so on the same terms and conditions as the Polish and European farmers.
The EP adopted an amendment including a reciprocity mechanism. It would enable the European Commission to adopt safeguard measures where there is reliable evidence that imports covered by tariff preferences do not meet equivalent requirements, inter alia, environmental protection, animal welfare or food safety requirements applicable to producers in the European Union.
The recognised nature of the European Commission's decision
Two days later, part of the amendments were changed in the trilogue negotiations. In line with the compromise reached, the European Commission will be able to launch a safeguard procedure for not 5-percent, only an 8-percent increase in imports from Mercosur or an 8-percent drop in the import price of a given product compared to the average of the last 3 years. At the same time, the designation of the European Commission's decision, as well as a compromise on the monitoring of imports, are to be presented "at least all six months" alternatively than all 3 months as proposed by the Euro MPs. The EP in the trilogue gave up, among others, the provisions on automatic introduction of safeguard measures and shortening the deadlines for the completion of proceedings.
As stressed in the Communication, the EU Council, The Commission is to continuously and proactively monitor imports of identified delicate products and study to Parliament and the Council at least all six months on marketplace developments and the hazard of injury to Union producers. "Unfortunately, I have very bad experiences with specified records during the crisis associated with the influx of food from Ukraine. They were just as recorded and ended in a flood, so they were not effective. Whether they will work present in the case of imports from South America, much bigger, with much more production possible – I have immense doubts – says Waldemar Buda.
Everyone who analyses it coolly, beyond any policy, believes that clauses are insufficient
Negotiations around the EU-Mercosur agreement are accompanied by strong opposition from the agricultural community. Around 10,000 farmers from all 27 EU associate States demonstrated in Brussels on Thursday, according to Copa-Cogeca. 1 of the main demands of the protest was to argue trade agreements which, according to agricultural organisations, do not guarantee effective protection of EU production standards and the most delicate agricultural sectors.
“I have not heard any optimism from farmers. Everyone who analyses this coolly, apart from any policy, believes that clauses are insufficient. I do not know those who would be calmed down," says PiS politician. – These clauses do not improve anything, do not give any guarantees to farmers, do not believe in any calming them down.
