German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday described the European Parliament’s (EP) decision to forward the already signed free trade agreement between the EU and the South American bloc Mercosur as “regrettable”. to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU). TASR informs about it based on the report of the DPA agency.
- The European Parliament blocked the ratification of the EU agreement with Mercosur and referred it to the CJEU.
- German Chancellor Merz called this step regrettable and called for the implementation of the agreement.
- The EU-Mercosur agreement must now be reviewed by the Court of Justice of the EU.
- The European Parliament approved the request for an opinion on the agreement’s compliance with Union law.
- The Court of Justice will review the agreement before proceeding with ratification by member states.
The parliament “did not recognize the geopolitical situation”, the chancellor wrote on the social network. “We are convinced of the legality of the agreement. No more delays. The agreement must now be applied provisionally.” emphasized the German chancellor.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament blocked the ratification of the agreement between the EU and Mercosur. The proposal to ask the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for an opinion on the compatibility of agreements with EU treaties was approved by legislators with a narrow majority of votes. The CJEU must now review the agreement before the European Parliament and member states can proceed with the ratification process. On the basis of the EU Treaties, Member States, the European Parliament or the European Commission (EC) can call on the CJEU to assess whether planned international agreements are in accordance with Union law.
