BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s independent watchdog has launched an inquiry into the bloc’s trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries after environmental and rights groups complained that the deal does not respect the EU’s legal obligations. The European Commission, which negotiates trade agreements on behalf of EU member countries, and the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay announced in June last year that they had clinched a deal exactly two decades after negotiations were launched.Read more on NewsOK.com