Entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement: last act of an endless drama for Germany?
At the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20, 2026, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, stated that "geopolitical shocks can and must serve as opportunity for Europe".
Caught between an increasingly assertive China and an increasingly protectionist United States, the European Union (EU) intends to resist export restrictions, economic coercion, and tariffs by prioritizing "partnership instead of isolation."
The implementation of the EU's trade agenda is indeed accelerating with the conclusion this year of the agreements with Mercosur and India, as well as the completion of trade negotiations with Australia.
Often somewhat simplistically described as a "cows versus cars" agreement, the EU-Mercosur agreement was nonetheless the result of a long and arduous process. Initiated in 1999, then revived in 2019, negotiations were relaunched in 2024, leading to the conclusion of the agreement in January 2026. But criticism of the agreement did not fade away.
Marie Krpata is Research Fellow at the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri).
- This publication is available in French (pdf): "Entrée en vigueur de l’accord UE-Mercosur : aboutissement d’un drame sans fin pour l’Allemagne ?"
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Entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement: last act of an endless drama for Germany?
Author(s)
Marie KRPATA
Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), Ifri
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The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was created in 1954 by an inter-governmental agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and France, in order to raise awareness of Germany in France and analyze Franco-German relations, including in their European and international dimensions. In its conferences and seminars, which bring together experts, political leaders, senior decision-makers and representatives of civil society from both countries, Cerfa develops the Franco-German debate and stimulates political proposals. It regularly publishes studies through two collections: Cerfa notes and studies as well as Franco-German visions.
Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think tanks. In addition to its research and debate activities, Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation through original cooperation programs. This is how in 2021-2022, Cerfa led a program on multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program is aimed at young professionals from both countries interested in the issues of multilateralism in the context of their activities. It covered a wide range of themes relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament. Previously, Cerfa had participated in the Franco-German future dialogue, co-led with the DGAP from 2007 to 2020, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Daniel Vernet group (formerly the Franco-German Reflection Group) which was founded in 2014 upon the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
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