The European Parliament voted on Wednesday for a legal check of the EU’s trade deal with four members of the Latin American Mercosur bloc, a move that could severely delay or even derail the deal.ย
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took to social media soon after news of the vote, calling the result “regrettable” and saying it “misjudges the geopolitical situation.”ย
The EU signed the deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay on Saturday, after a quarter of a century of negotiations. But it still requires approval from the European Parliament before it can formally take effect.ย
Razor-thin margin in vote, amid massive protests outside building
Lawmakers in the European Parliament in Strasbourg backed the motion with 334 votes in favor, 324 against, and 11 abstentions.ย
That means the EU’s Court of Justice (CJEU) will be charged with checking whether the agreement can legally be applied before full ratification from all member states, and whether its provisions would restrict the EU’s ability to set environmental and consumer health policy. The CJEU typically takes in the region of two years to reach decisions on such queries.ย
Opponents, led by Franceย โ the EU’s largest agricultural producerย โ say the Mercosur deal could increase imports of cheap beef, sugar and poultry, undercutting domestic farmers.ย
Farmers across Europe, but particularly in France and Belgium, homeย to the European Parliament sites in Brussels and Strasbourg, have repeatedly protested en masse against the deal in recent months.
Protesters lobbied outside the Strasbourg parliament for a second consecutive day during Wednesday’sย vote, after police used tear gas to disperse them on Tuesday.ย
Germany’s Merz calls for provisional implementation of deal
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had been among the more vocal proponents of ratifying the deal amid the frictions of recent months, criticized the parliamentary vote almost immediately after it was reached.ย
“The decision of the European Parliament on the Mercosur agreement is regrettable. It misjudges the geopolitical situation,” Merz said online. “We are convinced of the legality of the agreement. No more delays. The deal must now be implemented provisionally.”ย
However, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed the result.ย
“France takes responsibility for saying no when it is necessary, and often history proves it right. The fight continues to protect our agriculture and ensure our food sovereignty,” he wrote.ย
European Commission ‘deeply regrets’ the delay
The deal was a central priority of the European Commission and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who shepherded it through a key, delayed vote on January 9 among the EU’s 27 leaders.ย
“The more trading partners we have worldwide, the more independent we are,” she said at the Davos World Economic Forum on Tuesday, in reference to the Mercosur deal and another being negotiated with India.ย
The agreement is supported by South America’s cattle-raising countries and industrial interests in Europe, but has met stern resistance from Europe’s agricultural sector, which has also focused on von der Leyen as the agreement’s spearhead in its protests.ย
The Commission said on Wednesday that it “strongly regrets” the vote’s outcome.ย
The chairman of the European Parliament’s trade committee, Bernd Lange, called the decision “absolutely irresponsible” and anย “own goal.”ย
He said that opponents should have voted against the deal when it cleared the Parliament, rather than supporting “delaying tactics under the guise of legal review.”
Edited by: Alex Berry