Once the Parliament’s trade committee approves proposed safeguards, which could happen by Monday, the plenary will vote on the issue as soon as Tuesday on whether to submit them to an urgent procedure. And if a majority of lawmakers approve the accelerated procedure, the safeguards are expected to be put to a vote on Thursday, the officials explained, on condition of anonymity
Under the safeguards, proposed in October, the European Commission would commit to closely monitor imports of sensitive farm products such as beef, poultry and sugar. This was perceived as an olive branch to assuage concerns from countries skeptical towards the massive trade deal, such as France and Poland.
The safeguards are set to be approved on Wednesday by the Council of the EU.
After that, EU institutions would need to rubber-stamp legislative work on the instrument, which was a key condition for France and others to support the overall agreement at a vote in the coming days.
In another crucial decision, the Conference of Presidents is expected Wednesday to reject a motion for a resolution requesting a court opinion on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.
A large group of European lawmakers — counting between 140 and 150 MEPs — proposed a motion last week to ask the Court of Justice of the European Union to assess whether the accord with the Mercosur trade bloc is compatible with the European treaties.