"Dozens of French farmers blocked major roads south of Lyon on Monday, deploying tractors to protest against the European Union's trade agreement with Mercosur countries, which is expected to be signed in Paraguay on January 12. The footage shows protesters mobilising on the A450 near Brignais and the A7 motorway at the Reventin-Vaugris toll plaza with tractors occupying lanes and slowing or blocking traffic, causing disruptions on key highways and regional routes. "I think it's [the date of January 12] just a publicity stunt, nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately, I think Mercosur is already a done deal. France no longer has control over defending its farmers," said Serge Genevay, grain farmer and member of the Rural Coordination. Protesters say the EU-Mercosur trade deal would expose French agriculture to unfair competition from imports produced under looser standards. "For us, this will mean the disappearance of more and more farmers and unfair competition from products that will enter our country without meeting the same standards as in France. And those consequences will mainly affect consumers, who will no longer have any choice but to buy these goods," Genevay explains. Negotiated over the course of 25 years, the agreement would eliminate most tariffs over 15 years across a market of roughly 780 million people. Its final signing was delayed from December 2025 due to political disagreements among EU member states."