STRASBOURG — In a vote that could delay the European Union’s trade deal with Mercosur by up to two years, the European Parliament on Wednesday sent the Latin American accord for a judicial review.

By a majority of just 10 votes, MEPs backed a resolution to seek an opinion from the Court of Justice of the EU on whether the texts of the EU-Mercosur agreement comply with the EU treaties. The motion was carried — to applause and cheers from its backers — with 334 votes in favor, 324 against, and 11 abstentions.

The Parliament won’t be able to vote on the deal itself until the court has issued its opinion — a process that typically takes between 18 to 24 months. 

The delay now raises the question of whether the EU executive will provisionally apply the agreement while waiting for the court to rule — putting the two institutions on a collision course over democratic accountability.

The outcome represents a major defeat for the European Commission and countries backing the deal, which want to deepen ties with the Mercosur countries — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — and see the accord as the perfect opportunity to stand strong against U.S. President Donald Trump’s erratic tariffs. 

“The more trading partners we have world-wide, the more independent we are. And that is exactly what we need now,” the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a last-minute appeal to lawmakers earlier on Wednesday. 

Bernd Lange, the chair of the Parliament’s international trade committee, condemned the outcome of the vote.

“Absolutely irresponsible. This is an own goal,” Lange posted on X. “Those against #EU #Mercosur should vote against in consent procedure instead of using delaying tactics under the guise of legal review. Very harmful for our economic interests and standing. Team Europe putting itself offside.”

This story has been updated.