BRUSSELS

The European Commission signaled Monday that the EU-Mercosur trade agreement is nearing completion, saying talks in recent weeks have put the sides "on the right track" toward a potential signing in the near future.

Speaking at the EU Commission's midday briefing, spokesperson Paula Pinho confirmed that discussions and technical work had progressed over the past two weeks, raising expectations that the long-delayed agreement could soon be finalized.

"I don't have any specific date that I can confirm to you. I can confirm, however, that we're on the right track to envisage a signing of the agreement, and we do hope that will take place quite soon," she said.

The agreement would grant preferential tariffs for imports of beef, poultry, dairy products, sugar and ethanol from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, while European industrial goods would gain wider access to South American markets.

The deal, initially expected to be signed in December, was postponed to the new year due to last-minute opposition from member states like France and Italy, who were concerned about agricultural impacts.

Opposition to the deal has also surfaced elsewhere. In mid-December, farmers from several European countries, including France and Italy, protested in Brussels, warning that Mercosur tariff preferences could harm European agriculture.