EU and Mercosur countries to sign contested free trade deal

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

59% : The deal "will bring real benefits for European citizens and businesses, boost the EU's sovereignty and strategic autonomy, and shape the global economy in line with our shared values" Costa said ahead of his trip.
59% : " The commission estimates that the agreement could increase annual EU exports to South America by up to 39%, or around €49 billion ($57 billion) - supporting more than 440,000 jobs throughout Europe.
54% : The trade deal between the EU's 27 member countries and Mercosur countries Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay is intended to boost trade between the economic blocs.
54% : The aim is to dismantle trade and tariff barriers between the EU and the Mercosur states as much as possible.
50% : The European Union and the Latin American trade bloc Mercosur are expected to sign a free trade deal on Saturday, which was 25 years in the making. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will visit Paraguay's capital Asunción for the signing ceremony in the hope of finally turning the page on the trans-Atlantic trade saga.
49% : "More than 700 million people will benefit from the EU-Mercosur Agreement," Costa said.
48% : Signal to Trump The new free trade area is also intended as a signal offsetting US President Donald Trump's protectionist trade policy.
48% : The motion calls on the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to give a legal assessment of the free trade agreement ahead of the EU Parliament's vote - which is in any case expected to be close.
46% : The EU managed to push the deal over the line despite opposition from some countries in the bloc, in an effort to diversify its trade ties as relations with the United States and China grow strained.
44% : The signing ceremony, which was initially scheduled for December, was delayed as the support for the deal among EU countries fell short of the required majority.
40% : The European Parliament is set to vote on Wednesday on a resolution tabled by Leftist EU lawmakers which could significantly delay the implementation of the deal.
37% : EU lawmakers threaten to derail the trade deal Some major EU countries, including France and Poland, and parts of Europe's farming community still view the deal critically despite the commission's concessions.
37% : These concessions include countermeasures that can be quickly initiated in the event of a harmful increase in imports from the Mercosur states or an excessive fall in prices for EU producers.
36% : EU lawmakers will also vote on a motion of censure against the European Commission over the EU-Mercosur agreement.

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