Farmers protesting against the Mercosur trade deal in Athlone. Mercosur deal thrown into doubt as European Parliament votes to seek legal rulingThe European Parliament has voted to refer the controversial trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur block of countries in South America to the EU Court of Justice. This would create a major political storm in the corridors of European power with the European Union and European Parliament pitted at loggerheads. A vote on the Mercosur deal itself is expected to come before the European Parliament in May. Lynn Boylan MEP said: “Mercosur is a rotten trade deal that really gets worse the more you read about it.

Source: Irish Independent January 21, 2026 13:46 UTC