Overview
- Lawmakers voted 334–324 to seek a European Court of Justice opinion on the pact, introducing open‑ended legal uncertainty for ratification.
- A majority of German Green MEPs backed the referral, triggering party backlash; delegation chair Erik Marquardt now pledges support for swift ratification and provisional application.
- Parliament figures signal a possible February plenary vote on putting parts of the agreement into provisional effect during the court review.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul call the referral a major mistake and urge provisional application once a Mercosur country ratifies, warning of credibility costs.
- The agreement, signed after more than 25 years with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, would create a vast free‑trade area, though reporting warns the legal review could delay final approval by one to two years.