BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur, hailed as one of the most significant economic accords in decades, entered an unexpected political pause this week, exposing deep internal divisions within Europe over agriculture and trade liberalization.
Just four days after the deal was signed in Asuncion, the European Parliament voted to submit the text to review by the Court of Justice of the European Union, a move that effectively halts the start of the ratification process.
The decision interrupts the path of a treaty designed to create the world's largest free trade area, encompassing nearly 700 million consumers, after almost 25 years of negotiations. It also highlights tensions inside the European bloc that extend well beyond legal scrutiny or tariff schedules.
At the heart of the delay is not a technical objection but a structural conflict. Broad sectors of European agriculture fear that greater market access for Mercosur, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, will erode their competitiveness in an increasingly regulated environment. The concern cuts across products and countries, affecting much of Europe's farming sector.
