France seeks delay in EU-Mercosur trade deal vote amid farmer protests

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called for pushing back the final approval vote on the landmark EU free trade deal with the Mercosur group of Latin American countries after outbreaks of the highly contagious lumpy skin disease sparked livestock culls and protests by cattle farmers. French farmers fear a flood of cheap imports with less stringent environmental rules could undercut their products in their home markets.