Giorgia Meloni welcomed a European Commission proposal to accelerate €45bn of support for farmers
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni. Photo: Getty
Reuters
The European Commission appeared to have won the crucial support of Italy yesterday for a contentious free trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur, paving the way for the EU to sign the agreement as early as next week.
Italy and France last month dashed hopes for a December deal, saying they were not ready to support it until farmers’ fears of an influx of cheap commodities from Mercosur, including beef and sugar, were resolved.
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