New Delhi, Jan. 23 -- European Union lawmakers on Wednesday voted to hold up ratification of a major free trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries over concerns about the legality of the deal.

In a vote in Strasbourg, France, lawmakers narrowly approved sending the EU-Mercosur agreement to Europe's top court to rule on whether it is in line with the bloc's treaties. The result was 334 votes in favor to 324 against, with 11 abstentions.

The assembly cannot vote to approve the pact until the European Court of Justice has ruled, and this could take months.

The long sought-after free trade agreement was signed into effect on Saturday. Twenty-five years in the making, it aimed to strengthen commercial ties in the ...