Europe's farming sector is facing a major crisis and needs to 'profoundly' change its rules, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Brussels, reaffirming Paris is against striking the Mercosur free-trade agreement with Latin American countries.
"All we are asking for is that the environmental and hygiene rules we impose on our farmers and other professions be the same", Macron said, adding: "As of today, as the draft texts stand, France opposes and will continue to oppose to this free-trade deal".
Speaking after a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, which was overshadowed by hefty protests staged by farmers from all over the continent, Macron said the EU also needed a joint mechanism to guarantee fair prices retailers and food giants pay to producers.
At a separate news conference around an hour earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was a "big fan" of the Mercosur deal that has been in the works for around 20 years.
