The draft regulation, adopted with 27 votes in favour, 8 against and 7 abstentions, sets out how the EU can temporarily suspend tariff preferences on agricultural imports from Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) if these imports harm EU producers.

According to MEPs, the Commission should launch an investigation into the need for protection measures when imports of sensitive agricultural products (such as poultry or beef) increase by 5% on a three year average (compared to 10% per year in the original Commission proposal). They also want to reduce the duration of these investigations (from six to three months generally, and from four to two months in case of sensitive products) to introduce safeguards quicker. The committee also adopted an amendment saying that safeguards could take the form of a reciprocity obligation for Mercosur countries to apply EU production standards.

Gabriel Mato (EPP, ES), standing rapporteur for Mercosur, said: “I welcome the…