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3mo ago

EU Parliament Sends Mercosur Trade Deal to Top Court, Stalling Ratification

The legal referral triggers a pause that could last up to two years.

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Farmers from across Europe protest as the European Parliament votes on Wednesday on whether to refer the EU-Mercosur trade agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in Strasbourg, France, January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Farmers from across Europe protest as the European Parliament votes on Wednesday on whether to refer the EU-Mercosur trade agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in Strasbourg, France, January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Overview

  • MEPs voted 334–324, with 11 abstentions, to request a Court of Justice opinion on the pact’s compliance with EU treaties.
  • Parliament cannot hold a consent vote until the court rules, a process that typically takes 18–24 months.
  • The European Commission said it strongly regrets the decision, and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for provisional application of the agreement.
  • France, Poland, Austria, Ireland and Hungary oppose the pact over farm and standards concerns, and thousands of farmers demonstrated in Strasbourg before the vote.
  • Judges will examine whether the deal constrains EU environmental and consumer health policymaking and whether applying parts of it before full ratification is lawful.