The controversy surrounding the agreement with Mercosur, which the European Union has been unable to end, is a striking recent example: the conclusion of a free trade agreement by the EU worried European farmers, who criticized the sacrifice of their interests for the sake of industrial interests in third countries. However, the European Commission has not deviated from this policy, which is considered the external counterpart to the cornerstone of European integration: the creation of a single internal market.
The country already has around forty treaties in force with more than 70 countries and territories, and aims to increase this record, with around ten more treaties awaiting adoption, ratification, or being negotiated. While the scope has always been very broad to cover all relevant sectors of the EU economy, Brussels has maintained its interests, including the agri-food sector, which they say is not being sacrificed.
