On 1 July 2026, The Left group in the European Parliament tabled ten amendments to the interim report on the EU-Mexico Strategic Partnership Agreement, fundamentally challenging the Commission's positive framing of the deal. The amendments question the economic benefits of tariff removal, warn of delocalisation in the automotive sector, and express concern over regulatory standards and fiscal sovereignty.
The amendments, tabled by MEPs including Pernando Barrena Arza, Manon Aubry, and Younous Omarjee, replace the original text's supportive language with critical or conditional phrasing. Amendment 20 states that the "economic case for this Agreement remains weak," citing limited benefits and job creation. Amendment 21 introduces a warning about delocalisation, particularly in the automotive sector, while Amendment 22 shifts focus from opportunities for EU agri-food exporters to risks of "increased pressure on smaller farmers" and "market destabilisation." Amendment 24 downgrades the welcome for new services commitments to a mere "note" and changes "will open up" to "could open up."
The amendments also insert extensive new recitals explicitly endorsing Mexico's "Fourth Transformation" (4T) political project, praising increases in the minimum wage, social protection, and efforts to reduce dependencies on the US and China. Amendment 18 alters the objective of cooperation to be "based on solidarity and mutual benefit" and "not be driven by further liberalisation." Amendment 23 expresses concern about the use of EU-banned pesticides like atrazine in Mexican agriculture, directly challenging the assumption of equivalent standards. Amendment 25 introduces a paragraph regretting the prohibition on customs duties for e-commerce, arguing it undermines fiscal sovereignty and public revenues.
As proposed amendments, these texts have not been voted on and do not represent the Parliament's position. They will be examined by the responsible committee and potentially put to a plenary vote, where the centre-right and centre-left groups that authored the original report are expected to oppose them. The amendments reflect a unified critical stance from The Left group against the generally supportive approach of the larger political families.