Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday that Rome was not ready to sign off on a vast trade deal between the EU and South American bloc Mercosur.
"It would be premature to sign the deal in the coming days," as some of the safeguards Italy wants to protect its farmers are still to be finalised, she said in an address to Parliament.
She said she was nonetheless "very confident" the conditions could be in place to sign at the start of 2026.
The European Commission, backed by Europe's largest economy Germany, aims to win EU member state backing before the year's end for the agreement with the organisation made up of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
It would create the world's largest free-trade area and allow the EU to export more vehicles, machinery, wines and spirits to Latin America, while easing the entry of South American beef, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans into Europe.
But while some countries, like Spain, are pushing for a quick approval, others including France have voiced concerns for their agricultural sectors and want a delay until 2026.
In an address ahead of a European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, Meloni said Italy has "worked intensively with the Commission" on its demands.
They include safeguard mechanisms, a fall-back compensation fund, and stronger pest and disease regulations.
"All of these measures, although presented, have not yet been fully finalised. We therefore believe that signing the agreement in the coming days, as has been suggested, is still premature," she said.
Meloni said it "does not mean that Italy intends to block or oppose the agreement as a whole."
"I am very confident that by the beginning of next year, all these conditions can be met," she said.
– TIMES/AFP
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