The European Parliament has voted to ask the European Court of Justice to review the legal basis of the EU’s trade agreements with the Mercosur bloc.
The MEPs backed a resolution calling for a legal opinion from the court by 334 votes to 324, with 11 abstentions, the Parliament informed in a statement on Wednesday.
A second resolution also seeking a legal assessment was rejected by 402 votes to 225, with 13 abstentions.
The court will now examine the legal basis of the EU–Mercosur partnership agreement (EMPA) and an interim trade agreement (iTA).
Mercosur is a South American trade bloc whose members include Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
What happens next
The European Parliament will continue examining the texts while awaiting the court’s opinion.
Only after that opinion is delivered will MEPs be able to vote on whether to give consent to the agreements.
