EU chiefUrsula von der Leyentold EU leaders at a summit in Brussels that the signing of a free trade deal with South American blocMercosurwould be postponed to January, diplomatic sources told AFP.
TheEuropean Commissionwanted to have the pact to create the world's biggest free-trade area sealed this week, but the plan was thrown into disarray after Italy joined fellow heavyweight France in demanding a delay seeking further protection for the farming sector.
Brazilian PresidentLuiz Inacio Lula da Silvaearlier said he would present Italy's request for a postponement of the mammoth EU trade deal with South America to a summit of regional leaders at the weekend.
Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni"asked me that if we have patience for a week, ten days, a month, Italy will be ready for the agreement", Lula said after a phone call with Meloni, adding that the request would be discussed at a meeting of theMercosurtrading bloc.
The EU-Mercosur pact would create one of the world's biggest free-trade areas.
Read moreWhat to know about the EU-Mercosur deal
TheEuropean Commissionand Mercosur members wanted to get the long-delayed deal over the line before this weekend's summit.
But European heavyweightsFranceand Italy led adrive to postponethe signing of the deal, with Meloni saying itwould be "premature" to sign off on the deal "in the coming days".
French PresidentEmmanuel Macrondeclared on Thursday that the agreement "cannot be signed" in its current form.
A demonstration by farmers in Brussels on Thursdaydescended into rioting.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally published on France24
