Euractiv | 23 March 2026
EU–Mercosur trade deal to take provisional effect from 1 May
by Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro
The trade deal between the EU and Mercosur will kick in provisionally from 1 May, the European Commission said on Monday, meaning tariffs on most goods will be scrapped on both sides, as agreed under the deal.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed that Brussels had sent a notification to Paraguay, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Mercosur bloc – the final step to trigger provisional application of the deal, backed by EU capitals on 9 January.
The move has been highly contested by countries opposing Mercosur, such as France, with a government spokesperson saying it amounted to a violation of democratic principles, as well as by MEPs who have long challenged the agreement.
Provisional application will only enter into force for countries that have approved the deal and notified the EU – currently Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay – with Paraguay yet to send its notification.
It will remain in force until Brussels finalises ratification of the agreement in the coming years, after the EU’s Court of Justice rules on whether the deal complies with EU law in a case launched by MEPs.
The Commission said that businesses, consumers and farmers can start “reaping the benefits of the deal immediately,” while sensitive agricultural sectors remain protected by safeguards, which will enter into force early April.
“The priority now is turning this EU-Mercosur agreement into concrete outcomes, giving EU exporters the platform they need to seize new opportunities for trade, growth and jobs,” Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said, praising the provisional application as a step toward delivering on that promise.
