EU Approves Mercosur Trade Deal by Majority Vote

European Union member states approved a long-stalled free trade agreement with the South American bloc Mercosur on Friday, clearing the way for the European Commission to sign the pact despite strong opposition from several countries concerned about its impact on agriculture.

The decision came through a qualified majority vote conducted via written procedure, with at least 15 of the EU's 27 member states, representing 65 percent of the bloc's population, backing the deal. Supporters included Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Nordic countries and Italy, which provided key support after securing additional assurances. Opponents were France, Ireland, Poland, Austria and Hungary, while Belgium abstained due to internal divisions. The vote took place in Brussels under the rotating presidency of Cyprus.

The agreement, negotiated over more than 25 years, would establish a trade zone encompassing the EU and Mercosur nations Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, covering roughly 780 million people and a quarter of global gross domestic product. If ratified, it would eliminate tariffs on 91 percent of EU goods entering Mercosur countries and 92 percent of Mercosur goods entering the EU,...