BREAKING: EU to provisionally apply Mercosur deal

The European Union will provisionally apply the Mercosur trade deal, whilst waiting for a European Court of Justice ruling on its legality, it has been announced.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today confirmed the move, in the wake of Uruguay and Argentina yesterday becoming the first South American countries to ratify the EU-Mercosur Agreement.

On January 9, a qualified majority of EU member states in the Council of the EU approved the deal, with Ireland among five voting against.

However, later that month, MEPs voted by 334 in favour to 324 against (with 11 abstentions) to refer the agreements to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). It had been expected that this process could take some 18 months, and many had believed the Mercosur agreement had effectively been mothballed by that move.

Now, the European Commission is to press on with the agreement, on a provisional basis.

In a statement this morning, von der Leyen said: "Mercosur is one of the most consequential trade agreements of the first half of this century. It is a platform for deep political engagement with partners who see the world as we do."

"The Mercosur Agreement creates a market of 720 million people. It opens countless opportunities. It cuts billions in tariffs. It allows our small and medium-sized businesses to access markets and scale they could only dream of before. And it also gives Europe a strategic first-mover advantage in a world of sharp competition and short horizons. But a first-mover advantage has to materialise.

"In January, the European Council empowered the Commission to provisionally apply the Agreement as from the first ratification by one Mercosur country. I have said before: When they are ready, we are ready. Therefore, over the last weeks, I have discussed this intensively with Member States, and with Members of the European Parliament. On that basis, the Commission will now proceed with provisional application."

"‘Provisional application' is, by its nature – provisional. It is right there in the name. In line with the EU Treaties, the Agreement can only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its consent."

Independent TD for Offaly Carol Nolan launched a scathing criticism of the decision

“We now see that the Commission President clearly holds the opinions of MEPs and by extension the states that sent them to the parliament, as well as the entire community of EU farmers in absolute contempt,” said Deputy Nolan.

“This is nothing short of procedural violence by an overbearing EU elite that couldn’t give a damn about what our farmers tell them. It is a despicable move regardless of how the Commission President and her allies try to dress this up or legitimate it.”

“It will have confirmed every fear we have about the creeping authoritarianism within the EU.”

“I think this decision will rightly infuriate farmers and non-farmers alike because it powerfully demonstrates that behind of all the EU’s rhetoric about democracy and the rule of law, it doesn’t actually believe that people should a voice when that voice disagrees with their own position or agenda,” concluded Deputy Nolan.