There may be advertisements from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. France holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the next six months. A key part of the French presidency is the attempt to introduce mirror clauses when it comes to trade.
This would see countries outside of the EU match their production standards and do not undercut their workers with weaker rules on the environment. In a speech last week, Mr Macron said that the EU must push for mirror clauses in every deal. The French President argues that it is only fair for non-European farmers to meet the standards of their European counterparts who are forced to be greener. The European Commission will want to avoid higher prices for consumers, despite the opposition of those who are in favor of free trade.
EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis discussed Paris's push for mirror clauses with French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire earlier this month. An EU trade diplomat told Politico: It's very hard to see how this would work, because of the fact that any attempts to force up food production standards in countries outside the EU through mirror clauses need to be more far-reaching than strictly necessary. France's agriculture minister Julien Denormandie said he was on a crusade to build momentum among fellow ministers.