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More than 200 organizations protest against the ‘provisional’ application of the EU-Mercosur agreement

Mar 5, 2026Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay: The EU Commission plans to ‘provisionally’ apply the controversial free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur countries. In doing so, it is disregarding the European Parliament’s decision to have the agreement reviewed by the European Court of Justice beforehand. More than 200 organizations are protesting this move in a letter to the EU Commission.

In early January, the EU Commission secured the support of a majority of EU member state governments for the EU’s free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. This followed more than 25 years of negotiations, as opposition to the EU–Mercosur free trade agreement remains strong. 

A few days later, a majority of all parties in the European Parliament expressed doubts about the legality of the agreement and decided to have it reviewed by the European Court of Justice before a final vote. The review is expected to take many months – up to a maximum of one and a half years.

In addition, the 27 national parliaments of all EU countries still need to vote in favor of the partnership agreement with the Mercosur countries. This process will also take many months. It is not certain that there will be a majority for the agreement in every country. If the parliament of even one EU country votes against the agreement, it cannot enter into force.

The governments of France, Ireland and Austria had already voted against the agreement in the EU Council, but were overruled by the other countries. In every other EU country, there is still fierce resistance to the agreement from all parts of society. 

Despite this, the EU Commission has now announced that it intends to put the agreement into ‘provisional’ effect – likely on May 1.

More than 200 organizations have signed an open letter to the EU Council and the EU Commission opposing this profoundly undemocratic step. In the letter, they call on the institutions not to apply the trade agreement on a provisional basis. Below is the letter, including the names of all signing organizations:

Open letter to the Council and Commission against provisional application of the EU-Mercosur agreement

Dear Ms Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission,
Dear Mr Costa, President of the European Council,

We urge you to respect democratic processes and refrain from applying  the EU-Mercosur trade agreement before the European Parliament has exercised its right to vote on the deal. 

The EU-Mercosur agreement is highly controversial with concerns being repeatedly raised by many citizens and civil society groups, both in the EU and in Mercosur countries, over issues such as food safety standards, impacts on jobs and farming, and deforestation. In our democracy, it is vital that people’s voices are heard on matters such as these.

The democratic basis of the agreement has already been put in question. The trade deal has only been able to proceed as a result of contentious decisions that bypassed national parliaments. Then the approval of the Council was only given by a narrow majority - the first time ever that a EU trade agreement has gone ahead without unanimous support among EU Member States. Now the European Parliament has asked the European Court of Justice for advice on legal concerns with the agreement, which sends a clear signal that MEPs do not want to bulldoze the agreement through without proper scrutiny.

Applying the trade deal now, without the Court’s opinion and without MEPs’ consent,  would trample over the democratic processes that exist precisely in order that citizens’ voices can be heard, represented and taken into account when disagreements arise. It would undermine public trust and the democratic legitimacy of the European Union. At a time when many in our society feel sidelined and are losing faith in political processes, opting for provisional application would be profoundly anti-democratic and would risk inflaming  tensions within EU countries as well as between them.

We call on you to support established democratic principles and commit to wait for the Court’s opinion and the European Parliament’s consent vote before going ahead with the application of the EU-Mercosur agreement.

Signed by:

International organizations:

  1. CIDSE
  2. Climate Action Netwok Latin América (CANLA)
  3. Climate Action Network Europe (CAN Europe)
  4. Corporate Europe Observatory
  5. Ekō
  6. Eurogroup for Animals
  7. European Coordination Via Campesina
  8. European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)
  9. European Institute for Animal Law & Policy
  10. European Trade Justice Coalition
  11. Friends of the Earth Europe
  12. Global Forest Coalition
  13. GRAIN
  14. Greenpeace EU
  15. Red EU-LAT
  16. Rede de Gênero y Comércio
  17. Southern Africa Climate Change Network
  18. WIDE+ (Women In Development Europe+)
  19. National organizations:
  20. Confederación General del Trabajo de la República Argentina, Argentina
  21. Diálogo 2000-Jubileo Sur Argentina, Argentina
  22. Subversión, Argentina
  23. Tierra Nativa – Amigos de la Tierra Argentina, Argentina
  24. Attac Argentina, Argentina
  25. Iniciativa Arcoiris de Ecología Política, Argentina
  26. Anders Handeln Austria, Austria
  27. Attac Austria, Austria
  28. BirdLife Austria, Austria
  29. DKA Austria – Dreikönigsaktion der Katholischen Jungschar, Austria
  30. Erde & Saat, Austria
  31. GLOBAL 2000, Austria
  32. KOO-Coordination Office of the Austrian Episcopal Conference for International Partnerships and Global Church, Austria
  33. ÖBV-Via Campesina Austria, Austria
  34. WIDE – Network for Women´s Rights and Feminist Perspectives in Development, Austria
  35. Welthaus Graz, Austria
  36. 11.11.11, Belgium
  37. Autre Terre, Belgium
  38. CNCD-11.11.11, Belgium
  39. Collectif 5C, Belgium
  40. Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires, Belgium
  41. Défi Belgique Afrique, Belgium
  42. Eco-Vie asbl, Belgium
  43. Entraide & Fraternité, Belgium
  44. Fédération Wallonne de l’Agriculture, Belgium
  45. FIAN Belgium, Belgium
  46. FUGEA, Belgium
  47. Humundi, Belgium
  48. MAP-EPI, Belgium
  49. MOC, Belgium
  50. RUCOLA asbl, Belgium
  51. Solidagro, Belgium
  52. Union des Agricultrices Wallonnes, Belgium
  53. VITAL asbl, Belgium
  54. Voedsel Anders Vlaanderen, Belgium
  55. vzw Climaxi, Belgium
  56. WSM, Belgium
  57. AMAR Brasil (Acteur dans le Monde Agricole et Rural), Brasil
  58. Associação Escola Sem Muros Grupo Eco, Brasil
  59. EcosBrasil – Associaçáo Ecologica de Cooperaçáo Social, Brasil
  60. ESPLAR- Centro de Pesquisa e Assessoria, Brasil
  61. Frente Brasil Contra Devastação, Brasil
  62. GEEMA – Grupo de Estudos em Educação e Meio Ambiente do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
  63. GTA – Rede de Trabalho Amazonico, Brasil
  64. Instituto Eqüit – Gênero, Economia e Cidadania Global, Brasil
  65. Instituto Políticas Alternativas para o Cone Sul – PACS, Brasil
  66. Jubileu Sul Brasil, Brasil
  67. Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, Brasil
  68. Movimento SOS Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brasil
  69. REBRIP- Rede Brasileira pela integração dos Povos, Brasil
  70. Rede de Mulheres Ambientalistas da América Latina, Brasil
  71. Tendência Náutico Urgente ECO, Brasil
  72. Assossiação Alternativa Terrazul, Brasil
  73. Centro de Agricultura Alternativa Vicente Nica, Brasil
  74. FAOR Fórum da Amazônia Oriental, Brasil
  75. Fórum Brasileiro de ONGs e Movimentos Sociais pelo Meio Ambiente, Brasil
  76. Envol Vert, Colombia, France and Peru
  77. NOAH – Friends of the Earth Denmark, Denmark
  78. Agricultores y Ganaderos Independientes de Madrid (AGIM-COAG), Estado Español
  79. Amigas de la Tierra, Estado Español
  80. Asdecoba, Estado Español
  81. Asociación por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Taula per Mèxic, Estado Español
  82. Attac España, Estado Español
  83. Cátedra UNESCO de Desarrollo Humano Sostenible, Estado Español
  84. CGT Confederación General del Trabajo, Estado Español
  85. COAG (Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos), Estado Español
  86. COAG Burgos, Estado Español
  87. COAG Castilla y León, Estado Español
  88. Ecologistas en Acción, Estado Español
  89. EHNE Nafarroa, Estado Español
  90. En clau de dona, Estado Español
  91. Enkarterrin mendiak aske, Estado Español
  92. Entrepueblos/Entrepobles/Entrepobos/Herriarte, Estado Español
  93. INTERKONEXIO ELEKTRIKORIK EZ, Estado Español
  94. Observatori del Deute en la Globalització, Estado Español
  95. Politki elkartea, Estado Español
  96. Salva la Selva, Estado Español
  97. STACYL Valladolid, Estado Español
  98. Unió de Pagesos de Menorca, Estado Español
  99. UNIÓN DE AGRICULTORES Y GANADEROS DE ARAGÓN (UAGA-COAG), Estado Español
  100. Unión de Agricultores y Ganaderos de La Rioja (UAGR-COAG), Estado Español
  101. Zambra Málaga, Estado Español
  102. Biolur Elkartea, Euskal Herria (estado español)
  103. CNT Gipuzkoa, Euskal Herria (estado español)
  104. EHNE (Euskal Herriko Nekazarien Elkartasuna), Euskal Herria (estado español)
  105. EHNE Bizkaia, Euskal Herria (estado español)
  106. ELA Sindikatua, Euskal Herria (estado español)
  107. Etxalde Nekazaritza Iraunkorra, Euskal Herria (estado español)
  108. ActionAid France, France
  109. Aitec, France
  110. all4trees, France
  111. Alofa Tuvalu, France
  112. Alternatiba, France
  113. Amis de la Terre France, France
  114. Attac France, France
  115. AVF (Association Végétarienne de France), France
  116. BLOOM Association, France
  117. CADTM, France
  118. Canopée – Forêts vivantes, France
  119. Coalition Secrets Toxiques, France
  120. Collectif national Stop Mercosur, France
  121. Combat Monsanto, France
  122. Comité de solidarité internationale avec les Autochtones des Amériques (CSIA-Nitassinan), France
  123. Comité Français pour la Solidarité Internationale, France
  124. Confédération paysanne, France
  125. CRID (Centre de recherche et d’information pour le développement), France
  126. Fédération Artisans du Monde, France
  127. Fondation Copernic, France
  128. Foodwatch, France
  129. France Amérique Latine (FAL), France
  130. France Nature Environnement, France
  131. FSU, France
  132. Générations Futures, France
  133. INDECOSA CGT, France
  134. La Mutuelle Familiale, France
  135. LDH (Ligue des droits de l’Homme), France
  136. Les Amis du Monde diplomatiquer, France
  137. MIRAMAP – Mouvement Inter-régional des AMAP, France
  138. MRJC, France
  139. Noé, France
  140. Notre Affaire à Tous, France
  141. Planète Amazone, France
  142. Pôle InPact, France
  143. POLLINIS, France
  144. Terre d’Abeilles, France
  145. Terre de Liens, France
  146. Union syndicale Solidaires, France
  147. Veblen Institute, France
  148. Aktionsgemeinschaft Solidarische Welt e.V., Germany
  149. Attac Germany, Germany
  150. Attac Hamburg, Germany
  151. Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren, Germany
  152. Darmstädter Bündnis für Gerechten Welthandel, Germany
  153. FARBE eV, Germany
  154. Forum Umwelt & Entwicklung, Germany
  155. Gemeinsam gegen die Tierindustrie, Germany
  156. Konstanzer Bündnis für gerechten Welthandel, Germany
  157. Leave it in the Ground Initiative (LINGO), Germany
  158. Misereor, Germany
  159. NaturFreunde Deutschlands, Germany
  160. Netzwerk Solidarische Landwirtschaft e.V., Germany
  161. PowerShift e.V., Germany
  162. PRO MenschNatur Mittelbaden e.V., Germany
  163. Rettet den Regenwald, Germany
  164. Naturefriends Greece, Greece
  165. Instituto para el Futuro Común Amerindio IFCA , Honduras
  166. Environmental Pillar, Ireland
  167. Talamh Beo, Ireland
  168. Coordinamento nord sud del mondo, Italy
  169. Fairwatch, Italy
  170. Mouvement Ecologique, Luxembourg
  171. Agriculture coalition for Just Trade, Netherlands
  172. Foodwatch, Netherlands
  173. Handel Anders, Netherlands
  174. Platform Aarde Boer Consument, Netherlands
  175. Handelskampanjen, Norway
  176. Heñói Centro de Estudios, Paraguay
  177. Movimiento Solidario Paraguay Venezuela, Paraguay
  178. Plataforma Paraguay Mejor Sin Libre Comercio, Paraguay
  179. Red Continental de Solidaridad Paraguay-Cuba, Paraguay
  180. SOBREVIVENCIA, Amigos de la Tierra Paraguay, Paraguay
  181. Sociedad de Economía Política del Paraguay, Paraguay
  182. Associação ReflorestarPT, Portugal
  183. BioPorto – Grupo de Acção Ambiental, Portugal
  184. Campo Aberto, Portugal
  185. CIDAC – Centro de Intervenção para o Desenvolvimento Amílcar Cabral, Portugal
  186. Ecomood Portugal, Portugal
  187. Palombar – Associação de Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural, Portugal
  188. TROCA – Plataforma por um Comércio Internacional Justo, Portugal
  189. Center za trajnostni razvoj podeželja Kranj (Center for Sustainable Rural Development Kranj), Slovenia
  190. Focus Association for Sustainable Development, Slovenia
  191. Umanotera, Slovenia
  192. Framtidsjorden, Sweden
  193. Jordens Vänner / Friends of the Earth Sweden, Sweden
  194. Solifonds, Switzerland
  195. Genc Dusunce Enstitusu, Turkey
  196. Environmental Justice Foundation, United Kingdom
  197. Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development (SEED), United States
  198. Coop. Comunidad del Sur, Uruguay
  199. REDES-Amigos de la Tierra Uruguay, Uruguay
  200. African Coalition on Green Growth, Zimbabwe
  201. Emmaus International Trust, Zimbabwe
  202. Zimbabwe Climate Change Coalition, Zimbabwe

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