French Farmers, MEPs Challenge EU-Mercosur Deal Ahead of Ratification Vote

The European Commission plans to formally adopt the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, aiming to advance ratification despite strong opposition from farmers, MEPs, and NGOs, particularly in France and Ireland. The Commission is considering splitting the agreement to treat the trade provisions separately, which would require only a simple majority in the European Parliament and qualified majority in the Council, bypassing the need for unanimous national parliament approval. This approach has sparked legal challenges, with a group of left-wing and Green MEPs preparing to seek a ruling from the EU Court of Justice to suspend ratification, arguing that the Commission lacks the mandate to split the deal. Farmers' unions, such as France's FNSEA and Ireland's IFA and ICMSA, criticize the agreement for allowing imports produced under lower environmental and pesticide standards, warning it threatens EU agriculture and sustainability goals. The Commission and supporters, including Germany and Spain, defend the deal as a strategic move to diversify trade partners away from the U.S. and China, offering safeguards like a mechanism to suspend Mercosur preferential access if imports disrupt EU markets. Protests and political resistance continue, with calls for stronger enforcement and judicial clarity before the agreement proceeds.