Renew MEP Benoit Cassart has asked the European Commission to provide aggregated data on the concentration of EU-Mercosur tariff quota volumes allocated to Brazil for 2024-2025, raising concerns that a high concentration among South American exporters may restrict effective access for EU operators. The question, submitted on 22 April 2026 as a priority written question under Rule 144, targets the management of agricultural tariff quotas for meat imports from Mercosur countries.
Cassart's question focuses on two concrete requests. First, he asks for anonymised data showing the relative share of main operators and the total number of operators involved in quota allocations to Brazil, to assess compliance with WTO non-discrimination rules. Second, he invokes the effects doctrine to press the Commission on how it intends to ensure that EU importers have effective, non-formal access to tariff quotas, given that concentration on the exporter side could effectively restrict access to quota products.
The question references existing EU regulations (2016/1237, 2016/1239, 2020/760, 2020/761) that govern tariff quota management through import licences and anti-speculation mechanisms like the LORI system. Cassart's intervention signals concern that despite these safeguards, market concentration may undermine the intended benefits of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement for EU meat importers.
As a priority question, the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will indicate whether the Commission shares Cassart's concerns and whether it plans to take action to monitor or address concentration in quota allocation, potentially affecting EU importers, South American exporters, and the broader EU-Mercosur trade relationship.
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