Despite widespread opposition, the European Commission presented on 3rd September 2025 the EU / Mercosur Partnership Agreement – or EMPA, and Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) to EU Member States.

Ever even heard of Mercosur ?; many have not. I will attempt to give a basic overview.

Since it was first ‘invented’, UK and EU animal protection organisations have called on the EU to reject the Mercosur agreements in their current form, given its devastating impact on millions of animals,

in the links after the following photos.The Mercosur nations are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and they are already the EU’s top trading partner in cow and chicken meat. The agreement now will grant significant additional access within the EU to these nations

But, and a big BUT, these South American nations operate a lot of intensive animal farming systems; and as such, by allowing even greater access to the EU now, the Commission is effectively saying to EU farmers, who are basically doing a lot to greatly improve their animal welfare systems, for which we must give them credit, ‘you can go to hell and if we import more cheaply, intensively raised meat from lower animal welfare standards, in South America, then so be it’.

Not exactly what EU consumers and farmers wish to hear I think. EU citizens in general are a pretty switched on crowd; they respect animals and in return they expect good welfare standards.

See what the Eurogroup for Animals have to say about it . Note especially the paragraph about wild animals and their habitats being the first to suffer under the deal, and that by increasing the trade in cow neat, leather and soy needed to feed same animals, the agreement will drive more land take up, resulting in deforestation and the loss of homes for forest dwelling animals. Everything is linked, and in this case, the results will be devastating.

What Kind of Animals Live in South America?

https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/news/eu-mercosur-deal-undermines-eu-progress-animals

https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/library/why-eu-mercosur-agreement-remains-bad-deal-animals

https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/files/eurogroupforanimals/2022-06/2022_06_03_efa_pb_Trade%20in%20animal%20products%20fuels%20deforestation.pdf

A bad deal for food, food producing animals and especially the environment.

Regards Mark.