France, Dec. 19 -- The signing of the agreement between the EU and Mercosur, 25 years in the making, has been pushed back until January.

The European Commission informed the Mercosur countries of the delay on Friday, after opposition from France and Italy ended hopes of sealing the pact on the margins of Thursday's EU leaders' summit.

The agreement would create the world's largest free-trade area and boost EU exports of cars, machinery, wines and spirits to Latin America at a time of mounting global trade tensions.

But the backlash from Europe's farming community - already simmering over subsidies, imports and disease controls - proved decisive.

Farmers descend on Brussels to protest EU Mercosur trade deal Tractors and tear gas

Thous...