French farmers are driving opposition to a massive trade deal between the Mercosur bloc and the European Union.

Lawmakers voted by a wide margin to approve additional safeguard measures to shield European farmers should local markets be destabilized by a glut of cheaper agricultural produce from Mercosur. Out of the 662 lawmakers attending, 431 MEPs voted in favor, 161 against and 70 abstained.

EU lawmakers backed on Tuesday tighter controls on imports of agricultural products resulting from a potential trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur, potentially meeting the complaints of critics of the deal.

France is creating a last-minute hurdle for a major trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc.

Some MEPs want the top EU court to review the Latin American trade deal — a process that could take 18-24 months.

The European Parliament has confirmed a contentious "reciprocity clause" that could derail the EU-Mercosur trade deal, and member states are expected to push back on it in upcoming negotiations. View