France and Italy want stronger safeguards for farmers and are urging a delay to the EU vote on Mercosur, threatening a deal decades in the making.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed on the need to delay a final European Union vote on the Mercosur trade deal, two sources familiar with the discussion told Reuters on Monday.

Fine Gael MEP for Midlands North West Maria Walsh has called on the Irish Government to outright reject the EU-Mercosur trade agreement ahead of a potential final vote on the deal later this week.