European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement on the EU-Mercosur agreement at the European Commission In Brussels, on February 27, 2026. SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP
The European Union will implement a mammoth trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc while waiting for a top court's ruling on its legality, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday, February 27. The European Commission's move, announced after Argentina and Uruguay ratified the agreement Thursday, comes despite strong opposition from key power France.
"The commission will now proceed with provisional application," von der Leyen said in Brussels, recalling that member states had given the EU executive power to do so. "Provisional application is, by its nature, provisional," she added, saying: "The agreement can only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its consent." She hailed the ratification by the two South American countries as "good news."
The deal still needs a green light from lawmakers in the European Parliament, which referred it to the EU's top court within days of being inked in January. France has led opposition to the deal and unsuccessfully attempted to block it over worries for its farmers, who fear being undercut by cheaper goods from Brazil and its neighbors. The French government last month warned any provisional application would be a "democratic violation."
