Cyprus EU presidency plans ‘not affected’ despite Mercosur setback

The Cypriot government’s plans for its six-month term holding the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency remain unaffected by the European Parliament’s decision last week to refer the EU–Mercosur trade deal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the EU agriculture and fisheries (Agrifish) council meeting in Brussels, Panayiotou said there was “no case” in which Cyprus’ presidency programme would be altered.

“The Cypriot presidency, from the beginning, from the first moment, has boldly stated that it will work as an honest mediator with all the parties, and we will continue to do so regardless of this development,” she said.

On the matter of the deal itself, she said that “what is very important for us is everything that preceded” an extraordinary Agrifish council meeting on January 7 in terms of the EU’s plans for the agricultural sector.

“Regardless of Mercosur developments, these are issues which are closely linked to competitiveness, to the sustainability of the primary sector, and mainly to the farmers themselves … and this is a priority for us,” she said.

To this end, she said that Cyprus wishes “to contribute to a Europe that is more autonomous, more competitive, more resilient”, with the agricultural sector “at the heart of this target and ambition”.

She also made reference to the planned revisions to the EU’s common agricultural policy which will be included in the multiannual financial framework – the bloc’s budget for the period covering the years between 2028 and 2034 – with various member states’ governments and farmers at loggerheads regarding how the policy should evolve.

“We are trying to find a balance. Our job is to make sure that we have a strong common agricultural policy that will help farmers address the challenges that they are facing … We have to go to the finishing line with a common agricultural policy [which is] strong and a common agricultural policy that helps the farmers to continue producing,” she said.

The European Parliament had last week voted by MEPs 334 to 324 to send the EU’s trade deal with Mercosur to the European Court of Justice, warning that the deal may be incompatible with existing EU law, and that guidelines for negotiation issued by the Council of the EU may not have been “respected” by the commission.

Despite the Cypriot government’s support for the trade deal, four of Cyprus’ six MEPs – Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou, Elam’s Geadis Geadi, Diko’s Costas Mavrides, and independent Fidias Panayiotou – voted to send the deal to court.

As a result of the vote, the European Parliament’s vote to ratify the deal, which had been expected to take place in February or March, will now not take place until after the ECJ delivers its ruling on the deal’s legality.

This process is expected to take at least a year, with some reports having suggested that a ruling may not be reached until 2028.

Under EU law, the agreement could still be provisionally implemented without parliamentary ratification, although such a move following last week’s vote would likely strain relations between EU institutions.

After the vote, a European Commission spokesperson told the Cyprus Mail that it “strongly regrets the decision”.

“This comes at a time when EU producers and exporters urgently need access to new markets, and when the EU must deliver on its diversification agenda and demonstrate that it remains a reliable and predictable trade partner,” it said, before saying that the questions raised last week’s motion “are unjustified”.