Pushing ahead with the EU's Agreements with Mercosur and India
in de media
In an op-ed for EU Law Live, Joris Larik (Leiden University College The Hague and Europa Institute) stresses that delays to the Mercosur and India agreements risk undermining Europe’s economic competitiveness and global credibility.
The EU has recently made major advances with its agreements with the Mercosur bloc and India. If realized, these would create the world's two largest free trade zones. However, significant obstacles remain. The European Parliament recently voted to refer the Mercosur deal to the Court of Justice over legal concerns.
Therefore, Larik argues that the EU should push ahead with the signing and provisional application of these agreements. This is legally possible, even with the Court's opinion pending. Moreover, it is politically justified given the need for the EU to strengthen its role in international markets and diversify its partnerships with like-minded democracies, particularly as geopolitical tensions grow and competition with the United States and China intensifies.