Overview
- Germany will formally start the national ratification process for the EU‑Mercosur political partnership agreement in July, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced during his Mercosur visit.
- Wadephul is touring Mercosur capitals and signed an intention declaration with Argentina to deepen cooperation on mining and critical minerals such as lithium and rare earths.
- The EU‑Mercosur trade deal has been provisionally applied, but its final approval remains pending after the European Parliament asked the European Court of Justice to review the treaty text.
- Berlin frames the push as an industrial and strategic move to secure supplies for the auto, machinery and pharmaceutical sectors and to reduce economic dependence on China.
- Political shifts in the region, warnings about social and environmental asymmetries, and earlier ratifications by Mercosur founding members mean faster EU member approvals could lock in the deal even as legal and public scrutiny continues.