CIUS Statement on the Political Agreement for the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement

CIUS, representing the European sugar-using industries, welcomes the political agreement reached on the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement. This milestone is a significant step toward strengthening trade relations and securing a stable, competitive, and sustainable business environment.

The EU-Mercosur FTA has the potential to enhance access to high-quality, sustainable sugar imports, crucial for ensuring the competitiveness of the European food and drink sector. By diversifying supply sources, this agreement addresses key challenges faced by sugar users, including the limited availability of sugar within the EU market. The EU nevertheless remains highly protectionist, and the new sugar market access provided to Mercosur is very small covering only 1% of the EU’s needs.

We would like to emphasize the importance of implementing the agreement swiftly while ensuring a balanced outcome that supports both trade and sustainability. We urge EU policymakers to recognize the strategic role of access to sugar imports in supporting resilient value chains and promoting economic growth across the sector.

 We remain committed to engaging with stakeholders to ensure the agreement delivers on its promise to enhance trade while upholding environmental and social standards.