European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced that the Commission will proceed with the provisional application of the EU-Mercosur trade deal.
The announcement comes after both Uruguay and Argentina completed their ratification processes on Thursday 26 February.
In both countries, the deal was supported across party lines, with the vote in Uruguay’s lower house carried by 91 votes to two, while the senate in Argentina approved by 69 votes to three.
Brazil and Paraguay are expected to ratify the deal in the coming weeks, with no substantial opposition expected in those parliaments.
Von der Leyen said the ratification in Uruguay and Argentina is "such good news". She said that the "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. So, the Commission will continue to work closely with all EU institutions, member states and stakeholders to ensure a smooth and transparent process.”
Provisional implementation
The move for provisional implementation could be very controversial. In January, the European Parliament voted to send the deal the European Court of Justice for an opinion, a move which effectively put final ratification in Europe on ice for a couple of years. That move to delay the deal now appears to have failed.
The EU has provisionally applied trade deals in the past, with the CETA trade deal with Canada a recent example. That has been implemented on a provisional basis since 2017 as it awaits final approval in national parliaments.
SHARING OPTIONS