WHERE IS THE RATIFICATION PROCESS

WHERE IS THE RATIFICATION PROCESS?

The agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) includes the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (APEM) and the interim trade agreement (AIC). The AIC includes the points of the APEM that fall under the exclusive competence of the EU. For the AIC to come into force, it is sufficient for the Council of the EU, which represents the member states, and the European Parliament to give their approval. The APEM, on the other hand, must be ratified by all member states of the EU. The AIC must expire when the APEM comes into force. The points of the agreement concerning beekeeping are included in the AIC, which was validated by the Council of the EU on January 9, 2026. However, the validation process by the European Parliament has been suspended due to a very close vote (334 votes in favor, 324 against, and 11 abstentions) on a resolution requesting a referral to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).