A motion of censure against the European Commission has been tabled in the European Parliament, setting up a debate during the Strasbourg plenary beginning on Monday 19 January 2026, with a vote scheduled for Thursday 22 January.
The text, registered as B10-0063/2026 and dated 14 January 2026, is brought “pursuant to Rule 131” and cites the Treaty provisions under which Parliament can force the Commission to resign as a body.
The motion is signed by a large group of MEPs led by Jordan Bardella, alongside other names from the right and far-right across several national delegations. It argues that the Commission’s handling of the EU–Mercosur agreements has damaged trust and that the executive has “overstepp[ed]” competences in ways that, in the signatories’ view, undermine farming interests and parliamentary scrutiny.
At the centre of the motion is the Commission’s approach to the trade package with the South American bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The text notes that negotiations began in 1999, and claims that today’s market and regulatory conditions differ substantially from those at the outset, particularly on animal welfare, environmental standards and public health expectations.
The motion states that the Commission “proceeded to conclude” negotiations in December 2024, despite opposition from “several national parliaments”, the European Parliament and farmers’ groups. It further alleges that the Commission sought to overcome anticipated ratification obstacles by splitting the arrangement into two instruments: a broader EU–Mercosur Partnership Agreement and a standalone Interim Trade Agreement covering trade and investment liberalisation.
That institutional design is the motion’s key procedural complaint. It argues that dividing the texts would reduce the role of national parliaments and leave Parliament’s trade-related oversight “a mere formality”.
Substantively, the signatories claim the deal would expose EU farmers to imports produced under different regulatory conditions. They refer to the long-running debate about so-called “mirror clauses”, and say the safeguards discussed to date are inadequate because they are not automatic and do not establish “real reciprocity”. The text also criticises the Commission’s work on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy, including an assertion that impact assessments on the cumulative effects of bilateral trade deals have not been carried out.
The filing comes days after the Council adopted decisions authorising signature of both the Partnership Agreement and the Interim Trade Agreement, and set out the next procedural steps. The Council’s public summary states that, before the agreements can be formally concluded, the European Parliament must give its consent. The Council also references the intention for the Interim Trade Agreement to operate as a stand-alone instrument until the broader partnership enters into force.
The Parliament’s final draft agenda for the 19–22 January sitting explicitly lists the motion of censure for debate on Monday and states that the vote will be held on Thursday.
A motion of censure is Parliament’s strongest formal sanction against the Commission. Under the Treaties, Parliament may not vote until at least three days after the motion is tabled and the vote must be open. Adoption requires a two-thirds majority of votes cast, representing a majority of Parliament’s component members, with the vote taken by roll call under Parliament’s rules. If adopted, the Commission would be required to resign collectively.
Censure motions have been used repeatedly in this parliamentary term. In July 2025, a motion was rejected by 360 votes to 175, with 18 abstentions. Two further motions were rejected in October 2025, with 378 and 383 votes against in the two roll-call results.
The upcoming debate is expected to focus on the Commission’s trade strategy, the balance of powers between EU institutions and member states, and the agricultural and standards-related arguments that have surrounded the EU–Mercosur file as the signature stage approaches.
