US EditionEU lawmakers vote to block Mercosur trade agreement over legal concerns
- On Jan 21, 2026 the European Parliament voted to refer the EU-Mercosur trade agreement to the EU Court of Justice, suspending parliamentary approval by 334 to 324 with 11 abstentions.
- Opponents including France, Ireland, and Poland said farmers and environmental campaigners fear cheaper imports, deforestation, and lower food standards, prompting the legal challenge.
- Nearly 1,000 tractors and about 5,000 farmers protested outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, celebrating after the referral passed, as slogans like 'Save your farmers' appeared .
- The referral immediately suspends the Parliament's approval and sends the pact to the Court, which typically takes around two years to issue an opinion, while the European Commission could still apply the agreement provisionally despite risks of institutional strain and Mercosur partners abandoning the deal.
- The pact would cover over 700 million people and eliminate tariffs on more than 90% of bilateral trade, while the EU and Mercosur combined account for 30% of global GDP.
305 Articles
305 Articles
The Foreign Minister of Uruguay minimized the European Parliament's decision to refer the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur to the EU Court of Justice
Replying to the vote of MEPs in favour of a referral to the EU Court of Justice on the EU-Mercosur agreement, which will suspend the ratification process, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for provisional application of the text.
The European Parliament stopped the economic agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, in a vote that stood with 334 votes in favour and 324 against, in addition to 11 abstentions. This means that the Court of Justice of the EU, based in Luxembourg, will have to analyze whether the agreement recently signed in Paraguay respects the treaties of the bloc of 27. Read also... Mercosur and the EU sign free trade agreement after 26 years of n…
On Wednesday noon, MEPs voted to refer the EU's Court of Justice (CJEU) to the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, a decision that could delay ratification by 12 to 18 months. With 10 votes in favour, opponents of the agreement won this first round: the trans-party resolution calling for the opinion of the CJEU was adopted by 334 votes to 324 (11 abstentions), while a second concurrent text was rejected, reports BFMTV. The European Commission said…
European Parliament votes to delay Mercosur deal in court
Lawmakers voted narrowly to challenge the EU trade deal with Latin America in the bloc's top court, a move that could derail the deal. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the deal should be provisionally enacted anyway.
With a narrow majority, MEPs decide that the European Court of Justice should check the agreement.
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