EU’s Quick Safeguard Rules for Farmers Facing Mercosur

Summary of the EU‑Mercosur Agriculture Safeguard Amendments (Adopted 16 Dec 2025)

• The European Parliament added changes to a regulation that applies safeguard rules to the EU‑Mercosur Partnership Agreement and Interim Trade Agreement for farm products.
• Monitoring:
  • The Commission must watch imports of “sensitive” products from the start of the agreements.
  • Reports will be released every three months (instead of six).
  • The Commission must give a technical guide to member states by 1 March 2026.
  • If an industry asks, monitoring can be expanded to other products or sectors.
• What counts as “serious injury” or a threat of injury:
  • An increase in imports of more than 5 % year‑on‑year (or 10 % if no other evidence) and a price that is at least 5 % (or 10 %) below the domestic average.
  • A drop in import price of more than 5 % (or 10 %) year‑on‑year with the same price condition is also a signal.
  • Clear evidence of a worsening economic situation—such as sustained price falls—can also trigger a safeguard.
• Investigations:
  • Target investigations should finish within three months (or two for sensitive products) from the notice in the Official Journal.
  • Extensions of up to three months are allowed only in exceptional cases.
  • The Commission must explain any delay to all parties.
• Safeguard measures:
  • If an investigation shows the injury conditions, provisional safeguards must be adopted within 14 days (instead of 21 days).
  • Definitive safeguards will then follow the normal procedure.
• New environmental, health and safety rules:
  • Safeguards can be triggered if imported products fail to meet EU environmental, animal‑welfare, health, food‑safety or labour standards.
  • The Commission may stop such imports immediately if a real health risk is proven.
• Anti‑circumvention rules:
  • If companies try to dodge safeguards by changing routes or using exempt partners, the Commission can extend the safeguards or take other measures.
  • Customs cooperation will be strengthened to verify origins and trace imports.
• Annex updates:
  • Eggs: added categories “Eggs class A and B” and “Egg albumins” (including whole‑egg powder, yolk powder, standard, high‑whip, high‑gel).
  • Citrus: added “oranges, lemons and mandarins”.

These amendments aim to make safeguard procedures faster, clearer, and more protective for EU producers while also ensuring that imported goods meet EU environmental and health standards.