The European Union and the South American Mercosur states negotiated a free trade agreement from 1999. After an EU summit in October 2025, Chancellor Friedrich Merz told journalists: Es gibt aus den Mitgliedstaaten jetzt keine Vorbehalte mehr. Es ist erledigt. Es ist durch. There are no more reservations from the member states. It is done. It is through. The President of the European Council, António Costa, contradicted him: Wir haben darüber nicht diskutiert. Wir haben keine Entscheidungen getroffen. We did not discuss it. We made no decisions. A German news report ran the headline Vorschneller Merz, hasty Merz. A majority of EU member states approved the agreement on 9 January 2026.