Euractiv | 8 January 2026

Council rejects bid to stop provisional Mercosur deal

by Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro

The Council presidency has killed a last-ditch effort from countries opposing the trade deal with Mercosur to prevent the agreement from kicking in provisionally before the entire ratification process is completed in Brussels.

The declaration, obtained by Euractiv, had been in the works over recent weeks and pushed by countries opposing the deal as part of a broader package of measures aimed at sweetening the deal for member states reluctant to back the long-negotiated trade agreement.

“We have been actively reaching out to member states to try to secure the necessary support for the Mercosur agreement, which will be on the Coreper agenda tomorrow,” Cyprus presidency sources told Euractiv.

A diplomatic source stated that the Cypriot presidency ultimately rejected the initiative. According to the diplomat, the decision could allow the trade pillar of the deal – known as the interim trade agreement (ITA) – to enter into force provisionally before the European Parliament gives its consent, provided that at least one of the four Mercosur countries ratifies the agreement. While a provisional application without Parliament’s green light is allowed under EU rules, it remains an uncommon practice.

A second diplomat suggested that the push behind the declaration – which they argue is itself unusual – was driven by anti-Mercosur countries seeking to stir controversy ahead of a final vote on the trade agreement, expected tomorrow at a meeting of EU ambassadors.

If the deal passes, the Council would ask the European Parliament to endorse the deal in a vote in which MEPs would have to either approve or reject it, with no possibility of amendments. According to parliamentary sources, this vote is likely to take place in January or February. A group of MEPs is expected to again attempt to delay the agreement’s implementation by requesting an opinion from the EU’s top court on its legality. A previous attempt was derailed by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, according to proponents of the measure.

Germany has stressed that Council backing for the Mercosur deal tomorrow would not signal an intention to apply it provisionally. “A positive decision by the Council on Mercosur does not prejudge the question of a provisional application of the trade agreement“ a German official told Euractiv.