On Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the Commission will move forward with a provisional implementation of the trade agreement with the South‑American Mercosur states.
This step may provoke strong opposition in European capitals and among Members of the European Parliament who have expressed doubts about the deal. The agreement, which would create a free‑trade zone for 720 million people, has been stalled because it has not yet secured formal approval from the Parliament. In December, MPs voted to refer the agreement to the European Court of Justice for review, a move that could effectively postpone final ratification for up to two years.
The Commission received a green light from EU member states in January to implement the pact as soon as Mercosur completes its own approval process. Both Argentina and Uruguay completed ratification on Thursday.
Opposition within the Parliament could be amplified by this action, and skeptical states such as France and Poland could be aggravated, potentially threatening the agreement at a final parliamentary vote.
Critics are concerned that the deal could force European farmers into price wars, intensify deforestation in South America, and undermine stricter EU standards for food safety, plant and animal health. The EU Commission denies these allegations and stresses that only products meeting EU regulations will be allowed into the EU market.