France set to resist EU Commission plan to fast-track trade deals in English only
The European Commission is weighing a plan to speed up ratification of trade agreements by circulating only English-language texts, a move France says it will oppose. The recently concluded India deal could serve as a test case.
The European Commission is exploring ways to speed up the ratification of EU trade agreements, including a proposal to circulate only English-language versions of deal texts during negotiations with member states and lawmakers, rather than translating them into all 24 official EU languages. The idea is already facing resistance from France.
The Commission's frustration stems from the slow ratification of the contentious EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič told EU trade ministers in February that the trade deal with India, concluded in late January, could serve as a test case for using English as the primary language during the ratification process. Translating agreements into every official language typically takes months because of the legal review required before ratification can begin.
Speaking to journalists after meeting ministers in late February, Šefčovič said the EU had lost nearly €300 billion in GDP and more than €200 billion in export opportunities because the Mercosur deal has not been in force since 2021. He noted that up to 2.5 years can pass between the conclusion of negotiations and businesses actually being able to operate in partner countries. He said at least seven member states backed the proposal at the February meeting, though not all countries had a chance to speak. Once ratified, agreements would still be translated into all 24 official languages upon publication in the EU's Official Journal.
French officials, however, made clear that Paris intends to firmly oppose an English-only approach. One official stressed that France defends the use of all EU languages as a matter of principle, including French as one of the bloc's working languages. Another French official warned that switching entirely to English raises legal and democratic concerns that the Commission itself is aware of. Language policy expert Michele Gazzola said relying solely on English during ratification could create difficulties for members of the European Parliament, and even more so where national parliaments are involved, describing the issue as one of transparency, precision and understanding.
