Central bank chief urges Austria to rethink Mercosur deal opposition

Dec 29 (Reuters) - Austria should rethink its opposition to a trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc, the country's central ?bank chief Martin Kocher was quoted as saying on ?Monday.

"As a small, export-oriented country, we ?simply cannot afford to forgo ?such an ?opportunity," Kocher told Austrian news agency APA in an ?interview.

Austrian lawmakers in ?2019 passed a resolution setting the country against a Mercosur trade ?deal, since when the ?government ?has repeatedly said it must uphold that position.

The EU and the bloc of ?Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay reached agreement last December to create the EU's largest ever trade accord, some 25 years after negotiations were launched. However, ?the ?bloc is struggling to win support from Italy and deal critics France, ?Poland and Hungary.

Approval of the accord requires a qualified majority of 15 EU members representing 65% of the EU population.

Kocher said plenty had changed since Austrian lawmakers voted ?to oppose a deal six years ago, and that the present agreement had significant safeguards for farmers.

(Writing ?by Dave Graham, editing by Kirsti Knolle)