On January 21st, the European Parliament in Strasbourg is due to vote on a proposal to refer the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur to the Court of Justice of the European Union for legal opinion. If the resolution is adopted, the ratification procedure would be suspended until the Court delivers its opinion, with the possibility that certain provisions of the agreement may have to be amended.
This initiative comes at a time when MEPs are concerned about the possible provisional application of the agreement by the Commission, which could bypass the Parliament and national parliaments. However, the Commission has indicated that such an application would not be automatic.
This is the Parliament's second attempt to legally challenge the agreement, an initial move having been deemed inadmissible in the autumn due to the absence, at the time, of formal approval by the Member States, which has since taken place.
In particular, the resolution calls on the Court to assess the compatibility of certain trade clauses with the European treaties, especially those likely to limit the EU's ability to raise its environmental and health standards. It also points out that the agreement must be treated as a "mixed" agreement, requiring the approval of both the European institutions and the Member States.
Source: euractiv.fr
