Mercosur-EU deal collapses again in Brasília over French farm protectionism

The long-awaited final round of negotiations between Mercosur, the bloc made up of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, and the European Union closed in Brasília without the treaty being signed, after 26 years of twists and turns.

The main obstacles again were the demands for "punitive environmental clauses" pushed by France to curb imports of South American beef and soy, along with the refusal of Latin American governments to open their state procurement market to European corporations.