Mercosur Trade Deal Referred To European Court Of Justice

Wednesday, 21 January 2026 13:41

MEP's voted in the European Parliament today for the move.

The Mercosur trade deal will be referred to the European Court of Justice.

The majority of MEPs voted for the move in the European Parliament today.

Farmers say the deal leaves Ireland at risk to hormone treated beef from South America.

But Fergal O'Brien, Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence at IBEC, says the deal presents huge opportunity for Ireland:

ICSA president Sean McNamara commented: “The Parliament voted 334 to 324 in favour of sending this deal to the European Court of Justice. That is a clear signal that serious concerns remain and that this agreement cannot simply be waved through".

“This is not a vote on the Mercosur trade deal itself, but it is a decisive move that could delay ratification by up to two years and could even stop this deal entirely. Anyone claiming Mercosur was inevitable has been proven wrong. Farmers were told time and again that this was a done deal and that resistance was pointless. We never accepted that and today shows that standing firm and keeping the pressure on does work.”

“To try to push this through while the Court is examining it would be a slap in the face to democracy and to every farmer who has taken the time to stand up and be heard".

“This fight is far from over, but today is proof that this deal can be challenged and beaten. We will not be backing down.”

Midlands MEP Ciaran Mullooly said: “Today the European Parliament did what it is supposed to do in a rules-based union: it insisted on legal certainty before allowing an irreversible decision to move forward. “This was not a vote against trade - it was a vote for the rule of law.”

“Over the course of this week in Strasbourg, I spoke with countless MEPs from all over Europe about the importance of referring this agreement to the European Court of Justice. There was a shared understanding that before such a far-reaching deal proceeds, its legal foundations must be absolutely sound.”

“This decision is about legal certainty and democratic accountability. Asking the Court to examine the agreement is not about blocking trade - it is about making sure the rules have been followed and that Parliament’s role is respected.”