EU details support measures for farmers in S.America deal

The EU sought Wednesday to assuage farmers' concerns about the bloc's trade deal with four South American countries by detailing how it will protect European producers.

The European Union and the Mercosur bloc agreed to form a 700-million-customer free-trade area, the world's biggest, last year and Brussels put it to member states for approval in September.

The European Commission also promised "robust" safeguard measures in a bid to get France's green light, since Paris is the deal's biggest critic over agricultural concerns.

The measures still need parliament and member states' approval.

The measures include "enhanced monitoring" of sensitive products including beef, poultry, rice, honey, eggs, garlic and sugar, it said.

The commission said it would send assessments of the impact of Mercosur imports of those products to the parliament and member states every six months.

It would kickstart a probe if the price of Mercosur imports is at least 10 percent lower than an identical EU product, and if the volume of duty-free imports rises by more than 10 percent.

Any investigation would be completed within four months.

If there is "serious injury", the EU could reimpose tariffs.

The commission also said it would launch an investigation if requested by an EU state "where there are sufficient grounds" and would activate the measures "in no more than 21 days".

"The commission will be ready to act swiftly and decisively in case of need to protect the interests of our agri-food sector," EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen said in a statement.