Euractiv | 22 January 2026
Commission signals readiness for provisional Mercosur application
by Magnus Lund Nielsen / Nicoletta Ionta / Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro
Some EU capitals have urged Brussels to proceed with the trade pact despite the European Parliament’s decision to seek a court ruling.
The European Commission signalled early on Friday it would be ready to move ahead with the provisional application of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, even after the European Parliament’s decision earlier this week to refer the deal to the bloc’s top court.
At an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, several capitals urged the Commission to push forward after Parliament asked the European Court of Justice to assess the agreement’s legality – a process that could take months, if not years.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said no formal decision had yet been taken, but indicated Brussels would be ready to act once a Mercosur country completes its domestic ratification.
Provisional application would allow parts of the agreement to take effect as soon as the first Mercosur country ratifies it, with Argentina and Paraguay expected to move quickly.
“We will be ready, when they are ready,” von der Leyen said, adding that there was “clear interest” in ensuring the agreement’s economic benefits take effect as soon as possible.
The Council of the EU approved the agreement earlier this month. Speaking at the same press conference, European Council President António Costa urged the Commission to proceed on the basis of that decision.
While Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he “really hoped” the Commission would proceed, any push forward is likely to prove politically contentious. France has warned that sidelining parliament would amount to a “democratic violation,” according to government spokesperson Maud Brégeron.
