Tag: European Union

• Wednesday, January 21st 2026 - 21:26 UTC

  European Parliament puts EU-Mercosur trade deal on hold, seeks top court legal opinion

  

  The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to freeze its approval track for the EU-Mercosur trade agreement and request a legal opinion from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on whether the deal is compatible with EU treaties. The motion passed by a razor-thin margin —334 in favour, 324 against, with 11 abstentions— injecting new uncertainty into a pact that the two blocs had only just signed in Asunción after a quarter-century of negotiations.

• Tuesday, January 20th 2026 - 18:09 UTC

  Macron warns Davos of a “world without rules” as Trump’s Greenland row intensifies

  

  French President Emmanuel Macron told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday that the world is drifting toward a “world without rules,” where the law of “the strongest” prevails—remarks delivered against the backdrop of a deepening transatlantic dispute over Donald Trump’s push to secure control of Greenland and his fresh tariff threats.

• Monday, January 19th 2026 - 10:57 UTC

  EU-Mercosur trade deal could turn South America into a critical minerals powerhouse

  

  The free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) could help turn South America into a major player in the global market for critical minerals and rare earths, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said in an interview with EFE from Asunción.

• Saturday, January 17th 2026 - 10:55 UTC

  Mercosur and EU sign historic trade agreement in Asunción after 26 years of negotiations

  

  On January 17, 2026, the Mercosur bloc and the European Union (EU) will formalize a comprehensive association and free trade agreement in Asunción, Paraguay, marking the culmination of nearly 26 years of negotiations, according to international and regional news outlets.

• Friday, January 16th 2026 - 19:07 UTC

  Lula and von der Leyen say Mercosur-EU deal advances multilateralism

  

  Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed on Friday that the free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU), due to be signed Saturday in Asunción, will benefit global trade, democracy and multilateralism, EFE reported.

• Friday, January 9th 2026 - 10:55 UTC

  It is all-or-nothing for EU-Mercosur FTA in Brussels

  

  The feasibility of the long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common (Market) and the European Union (EU) seems to be just hours away from its all-or-nothing hour, as France, Poland, Hungary, and Ireland have confirmed they would vote against it.

• Monday, November 24th 2025 - 10:55 UTC

  Lula foresees Mercosur-EU agreement will be signed on Dec. 20

  

  Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday at the G20 Summit in South Africa that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU) would be signed on December 20. Lula, who holds the South American bloc's rotating presidency, has made the deal a priority.

• Monday, November 10th 2025 - 10:45 UTC

  Low Attendance and Diplomatic Tensions at EU-Celac Summit

  

  The fourth summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) kicked off on Sunday in the Colombian city of Santa Marta, amid significant diplomatic friction and a noticeable lack of high-level engagement from both blocs.

• Monday, November 10th 2025 - 10:26 UTC

  French minister vows to block EU-Mercosur FTA out of concern for its farmers

  

  France has once again cast a negative note on the proposed Free Trade Agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard stated emphatically that her country would not sign a deal that “condemns its farmers.”

• Friday, October 17th 2025 - 01:08 UTC

  Greek Parliament passes bill providing for 13-hour workdays

  

  Greece's Parliament approved this week a controversial labor reform that allows for an extended workday of up to 13 hours, despite widespread national protests and strikes.