Mercosur deal’s uphill battle in Brussels highlights need to listen to EU farmers

On 21 January, a highly-anticipated vote in the European Parliament (EP) pushed the newly signed EU–Mercosur trade agreement into uncertainty. By a narrow margin, MEPs opted to refer the deal to the EU’s highest court, asking judges to rule on its compatibility with European law. Attention now turns to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which will assess the challenge in a process that could last more than a year, with its opinion potentially requiring changes should parts of the agreement be found to conflict with EU rules.