Good morning from Brussels. The long-discussed trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay), which has been under negotiation since 1999, has again come into the spotlight. A Parliamentary source told Euractiv’s Angrelo di Mambro that in a closed-door briefing on Monday, the Commission informed trade MEPs that Mercosur’s Montevideo summit on 5-6 December had been floated as a potential date to close the agreement as progress in talks has been made. EU farmers’ organisations oppose the deal, saying the application of “double standards” harms their competitiveness. An example is insecticides such as neonicotinoids, which are allowed for Brazilians but not for EU farmers. Farmers are taking to the streets of Brussels today to protest against the deal, and France’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier will also visit the European Union’s capital to convince EU officials to withdraw from it. But other countries such as Germany, Spain and Portugal back the deal. The debate heats up amid Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the widely expected US trade measures that could impact the EU. But it also returns to the agenda amid increasing calls for Europe to improve its competitiveness worldwide, based on Mario Draghi’s report. On Tuesday, EU's incoming top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, gave the issue a geopolitical element: “If we don’t do a trade agreement with them [Latin America], then this void will be filled by China.” | 