Mercosur deal thrown into doubt as European Parliament votes to seek legal ruling

The European Parliament has voted to refer the controversial trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur block of countries in South America to the EU Court of Justice.

The vote, by 334 in favour to 324 against, with 11 abstentions, is being seen as effectively freezing the Mercosur deal, as the EU Court of Justice can typically take up to two years to issue a ruling.

However, some commentators are highlighting the possibility the European Union could seek to push on with the deal, on a provisional basis, subject to later approval by the court and parliament. This would create a major political storm in the corridors of European power with the European Union and European Parliament pitted at loggerheads.

The motion, before the parliament in Strasbourg, cited questions over the need for ratification by all member states and whether the provisions of the trade deal comply with EU treaties and health and consumer safety policies.

The motion was proposed by members of the Left group in the parliament and among the signatories were Sinn Féin MEPs Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion.

Farming and rural communities in Ireland, France and other member states have been at the core of the opposition to the deal.

Over 20,000 attended a recent national protest and rally in Athlone, citing fears the pact could threaten Irish beef exports to Europe due to the introduction of lower-cost beef from Mercosur countries. Fears have also been voiced regarding lower production standards in the South American bloc.

However, supporters of the deal have highlighted its benefits across the full trade sector, and the need to expand Europe’s partners given the ongoing uncertainty over trade with the USA.

There has been a broad welcome across the political sphere in Ireland for the vote today to refer the deal to the EU Court of Justice. A vote on the Mercosur deal itself is expected to come before the European Parliament in May.

Fianna Fáil MEP for the Midlands–North-West Barry Cowen said: “Today’s vote was about doing things properly. Referring the Mercosur agreement to the Court of Justice ensures that legal certainty, democratic accountability and the Parliament’s co-legislator role are fully respected.”

“I have consistently said that slogans are not enough – what matters are binding legal protections. This referral creates the necessary space to test whether those protections genuinely exist and whether the agreement stands up to EU law.”

“The Commission must now respect the outcome of this vote and allow the Court to do its work. Any attempt to bypass that process would only deepen mistrust and further damage confidence among farmers and rural communities.”

Another Midlands-North-West MEP Ciaran Mullooly described the vote as a “pivotal moment for legal certainty, democratic oversight, and the protection of European farmers”.

Reacting to the result, Mullooly said the Parliament had acted responsibly and in line with its duty as a co-legislator.

“Today the European Parliament did what it is supposed to do in a rules-based union: it insisted on legal certainty before allowing an irreversible decision to move forward,” Mullooly said. “This was not a vote against trade - it was a vote for the rule of law.”

Mullooly said the decision marks a critical step in defending farmers, consumers and the integrity of EU law, and acknowledged the scale of public concern that influenced the outcome.

He congratulated the thousands of Irish farmers who, alongside their counterparts across Europe, sent a clear and united message that the Mercosur agreement, in its current form, is not in the interests of European agriculture or food standards.

Mullooly stressed that seeking a Court opinion is a matter of due process, not obstruction.

“This decision is about legal certainty and democratic accountability. Asking the Court to examine the agreement is not about blocking trade - it is about making sure the rules have been followed and that Parliament’s role is respected.”

His party, Independent Ireland, in a statement, said the deferral represents “round one to the farmers” and proves that sustained public pressure, unity and people power can force change at European level.

Party leader Deputy Michael Collins said the decision shows what can be achieved when farmers and communities stand together.

“This is a hugely important development. It is round one to the farmers, and it proves that when people unite and refuse to be ignored, they can win. Farmers were told this deal was inevitable — today shows that was never true. We need to keep the pressure on and keep going until Mercosur is stopped for good,” Deputy Collins said.

Independent Ireland agriculture spokesperson Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice said the referral to the EU Court of Justice underlines the seriousness of the concerns surrounding the deal.

“This decision vindicates what farmers have been saying from the very beginning. Mercosur raises fundamental issues around food safety, environmental standards and the survival of Irish family farms. Freezing the deal is a major step, but it is not the end of the road,” he said.

The outcome was welcomed by Sinn Féin MEPs Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion, who were among the signatories on the proposal to refer the deal to the ECJ.

Lynn Boylan MEP said: “Mercosur is a rotten trade deal that really gets worse the more you read about it.

“This is a deal to let the EU sell German cars into South America, but they’re throwing climate protections, food safety standards, human rights and farmers all under the bus to do it.

“We’ve already seen food from Mercosur countries pulled from shelves in the EU because it was unsafe for human consumption.

“It’s mind boggling for them to support a deal that does so much harm.

“Farmers in Ireland have made it clear that the impacts on them from this deal would be catastrophic.

Kathleen Funchion MEP added: “This is a good day for Irish farmers, for public health, and for our environment. Today’s vote in the European Parliament shows that this deal is far from final.

She said, as a result of today's vote, the ratification process is now suspended until the ECJ delivers its judgment, and the Court’s opinion could ultimately force changes to the agreement if it is found to breach EU law.

“Claims that we must accept Mercosur in the name of trade diversification, particularly in the context of global instability, cannot be allowed to become a smokescreen for ramming through a rotten trade deal."