. He has said yes to the principle of agreement reached by the European Commission with the South American bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) a little over a year ago that may end. The EU has more at stake than a free trade agreement; Its credibility as an international actor is on the table with which pacts can be reached and the range of geoeconomic alliances expanded in the midst of the earthquake on the international stage that has caused the forcible capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States just six days ago.
The vote was not unanimous among the Twenty-seven. The negotiations with Mercosur and the agreement reached have always caused important divisions within the EU due to the reluctance, above all, of Paris. Rome also had them and that caused a delay in the initially planned calendar, which had set this vote for before Christmas. Finally, this Friday it was passed by a qualified majority (at least 55% of countries that represent at least 65% of the EU population). “After more than 25 years, this decision marks a historic step in strengthening the EU’s strategic partnership with Mercosur. At a time of growing global uncertainty, it is essential that we strengthen our political cooperation, deepen our economic ties and maintain our shared commitment to sustainable development,” said Michael Damianos, Minister of Trade of Cyprus, the country that presides over the EU Council this semester.
This result has been possible because Italy has finally opted for yes after the concessions made in recent days by the European Commission. The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has justified this by pointing out that her country has obtained the transfers from the Commission that it was looking for, reports Lorena Pacho. On the other hand, France, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Ireland have remained in the no vote; Belgium, for its part, abstains. The positive vote of the rest has guaranteed support so that the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the European Council, António Costa, can travel to Paraguay next week for the protocol signing of the agreement.
The step taken with this signature will be an important chapter in the long path of creation of the largest free trade area in the world that began to be negotiated in 1999, that is, in the 20th century. 20 years later, the first principle of agreement was reached between the European Commission and the representatives of Mercosur, but that was not enough for several EU countries, especially for France, a country with a tendency toward protectionism that has always rejected this trade movement. Nor was it for the European Parliament, which asked for more environmental guarantees. This opened the negotiation again until this new initial pact was reached, which the Member States would have ratified this Friday.
For the European Union, the most open economic area in the world to international trade, reaching agreements with other areas of the world has become a commercial and geopolitical necessity since Donald Trump returned to the White House. This is demonstrated by what happened in 2025, with the US tariff aggression (a conflict in which only one party shoots can hardly be described as a war and that is what happened), and the few days until 2026, with the kidnapping of Maduro and the constant threats against Greenland. And to confront them, Brussels’ strategy has been to expand alliances and trade agreements: on this path, the pact with Mercosur can be defined as the jewel in the crown.
Photo: Javier Díaz (EFE) | Video: EPV
With this Friday’s ratification, not all obstacles are cleared for the trade agreement to have all the necessary approvals from the European side. An important and necessary element is cleared up, but the text also has to achieve ratification by Parliament. Support is not guaranteed in this EU institution either. The significant number of MEPs from ultra groups in this legislature, the rejection of the Left group and the difficulties that the rest of the parliamentary groups will have to maintain a position as a bloc for national interests predict tight votes in which any result could occur.
Two elements support the conclusion that the passage through the European Parliament of the trade pact with Mercosur will not be a walk in the park. A significant contingent of parliamentarians wants to take the text to the Court of Justice of the EU, which could suspend the entry into force of the agreement and delay the process. And, furthermore, the president of the far-right group Patriots, Jordan Bardella, has already anticipated his intention to present another motion of censure against the European Commission for this agreement. She will be the second of her group in a legislature that is barely a year and a half old.
The Community Executive offers a large amount of data to defend the agreement. Free trade with the South American bloc, made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, offers access to a market of 270 million inhabitants and a combined GDP of about 2.7 trillion euros. The EU Executive estimates that export potential could increase by 84 billion and generate some 756,000 additional jobs, especially benefiting the European automobile sector – hit hard by competition from Chinese electric vehicles – and other industries, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It also foresees that export possibilities for agri-food will improve by drastically dropping tariffs such as those on cheese, by 28%, wine, by 27%, or spirits, by 35%.
None of these numbers, however, have convinced the agricultural sector, which this Thursday and even this Friday went out to protest in different parts of the continent. Nor have the semi-automatic safeguards that were approved at the end of 2025, in which if distortions are detected in the internal market – an increase in imports of 5% over the average of the last three years or price falls of 10% – investigations are opened that may lead to provisional measures to cushion the effects such as the recovery of tariffs for the affected products. It has not even been enough that the Commission has proposed this week to advance payments for the Common Agricultural Policy in the next budget period (2028-2034) or to temporarily suspend customs tariffs on fertilizers for the countryside, making a basic product for agriculture cheaper.
