At a plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 10 February, MEPs approved the safeguard clause attached to the free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) by 483 votes to 102, with 67 abstentions. The co-legislators reached a provisional agreement on this clause on 17 December (see EUROPE 13789/14).
In the meantime, the Member States have gone back on the thresholds for triggering the safeguard clause, aligning themselves with the European Parliament’s initial position: an increase in imports of 5% on average over three years, combined with import prices 5% below the corresponding domestic prices (see EUROPE 13795/3).
On 21 January, Parliament also voted in favour of referring the matter to the Court of Justice of the EU to assess the compatibility of the trade agreement with the Mercosur countries with the EU treaties (see EUROPE 13791/2), thereby delaying the process of ratification of the agreement by the European Parliament.
The Commission has not confirmed this, but neither has it ruled out the provisional application of the agreement, without waiting for Parliament’s approval, once one (or more) Mercosur countries has ratified the agreement (see EUROPE 13792/2).
For the Spanish rapporteur, Gabriel Mato (EPP), this scenario is plausible, although he would have preferred a trajectory allowing Parliament to “have its say and participate actively”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)