Italy as expected threw a spanner in the works of the Korea-EU FTA on Monday, when officials in Brussels discussed whether to approve the deal.

The FTA was supposed to go into effect by the end of this year, but AP reports that Italy opposes the FTA due to fears that its own automobile market could be threatened by the import of Korean-made compact cars. The deal, signed last year, requires approval from all EU member states.

A final decision is expected at an EU leaders' meeting on Thursday, but it remains unclear whether Italy will continue to veto the deal.