Dialogos

“Very Correct” Referral of Mercosur to EU Court – Serious Allegations from Consumer Association

Published January 22, 2026, 08:01
“Very Correct” Referral of Mercosur to EU Court – Serious Allegations from Consumer Association

The Consumer Association has described the European Parliament's referral of the Mercosur agreement to the EU Court as “very correct,” while also pointing to divisions among members of the Parliament depending on their interests. The Association’s legal advisor, Virginia Christou, questioned whether the EU can make critical trade decisions while disregarding national councils. Ms. Christou reported gaps and deficiencies in the agreement, as well as misinformation from the executive branch. She also alleged that in two sessions of the parliamentary committee on agriculture, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture avoided consulting with agricultural organizations and the Consumer Association, violating the law. She expressed serious concerns about the controls on imported products, arguing that the controls are sample-based and the products are made available on the market before the results are released, endangering consumer health. She also mentioned that products from Egypt were imported without quality control. The Consumer Association also questioned whether the import of products from Mercosur countries would lead to lower prices for consumers. It considers the temporary suspension of the agreement until the EU Court decides to be positive.