The European Parliament adopted, on Wednesday, in Strasbourg, a resolution requesting the referral of the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur to the Court of Justice of the European Union to verify if the document is compatible with European treaties.
This referral to the CJEU theoretically blocks the entry into force of this agreement for a period of several months. However, the European Commission has the possibility to implement the treaty – on a provisional basis – if it wishes to do so, as explained by AFP.
The decision in the EP was taken narrowly: 334 MEPs voted in favor of the referral, 324 against, and 11 abstained, out of a total of 669 votes cast.
The vote took place against the backdrop of European farmers' protests in Strasbourg, now in their second day, amid concerns about the impact of the agreement on European agriculture. The outcome of the EP vote was welcomed by the farmers still present in front of the European Parliament's headquarters in Strasbourg with cheers, applause, and fireworks.
The adopted resolution reflects the deep divisions within the European Parliament, where some MEPs believe that only the CJEU can clarify any legality issues of the agreement.
How Romanian MEPs Voted
From the Romanian delegation, PNL and UDMR MEPs from the EPP group voted against referring the agreement to the Court, as announced by Antena3.
PNL MEP Siegfried Mureșan argued before the vote that the situation of farmers has "fundamentally" changed in recent months, citing additional funds obtained at the European level, safeguard clauses in the agreement, and a comprehensive package of agricultural streamlining.
He maintained that the Parliament must take responsibility for the final ratification vote without "obstructing" the process by referring it to the Court.
Meanwhile, PNL MEP Daniel Buda, Vice-Chair of the EP's Agriculture Committee, emphasized that products imported from Mercosur will have to meet the same standards as those from the EU. According to him, only farms and companies licensed by European authorities will be able to export to the EU market, with clear traceability obligations and prohibitions on pesticides, growth hormones, or other substances banned in the EU.
Buda also provided a concrete example regarding beef: the additional quota of 99,000 tons will be phased in over five years, considering that the EU already imports approximately 206,000 tons annually. He also warned that questioning Romania's ability to control these imports risks reopening sensitive discussions related to Schengen membership.
In contrast, PSD MEPs voted in favor of verifying the Mercosur agreement by the CJEU.
"The 10 votes of PSD MEPs made the difference! As promised, PSD voted to protect Romanian farmers and the agricultural sector in Romania and Europe. The vote expressed today in the European Parliament will suspend the adoption procedure of the Mercosur Agreement until the CJEU ruling," as stated in a party press release quoted by Mediafax.
The Social Democrats argue that the undeniable benefits of the Mercosur Agreement should not be obtained at the expense of sectors that have a significant share in Romania's national economy.