Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The EU free trade agreement with four Mercosur countries will enter into force as soon as the first South American country ratifies it, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said, despite a pending review by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - The European Union is willing to implement a sweeping free trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries on a provisional basis, the head of the EU's executive commission said Friday, despite a vote by the EU parliament to delay ratification for legal review.