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Four ‘yes’ and two ‘no’: How Cypriot MEPs voted on the proposal to refer the Mercosur to the ECJ?

Published January 21, 2026, 17:26

Cypriot MEPs voted differently on the proposal to refer the Mercosur agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Lucas Fourlas and Michalis Hadjipantela voted against, as they sought to promote changes to the agreement, which are now no longer possible. On the other hand, Giorgos Georgiou, Kostas Mavrides, Geadis Geadi and Feidias Panagiotou voted in favor, expressing concerns about the agreement's impact. Mr. Georgiou, one of the rapporteurs of the proposal, expressed the view that the agreement will be put into effect by the Commission without adequate democratic control. Messrs. Fourlas and Hadjipantela emphasized that the passing of the proposal removes the European Parliament’s leverage to achieve concessions. Mr. Mavrides raised the question of how the increase in supply from non-EU countries is compatible with the Union’s strategic autonomy. Mr. Panagiotou argued that the agreement does not take into account the needs of small farmers. The Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU supports the agreement, but recognizes the need to protect European agricultural products. The disagreement regarding Mercosur highlights the different priorities and interests of the EU member states.