The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvawho assumed ownership of the mercosurannounced that in “two or three weeks” he will send the regional bloc’s response to the additional instrument presented in March by the European Union (EU)that sets new environmental requirements to ratify the agreementand considered that both parties have to give in.
“The Brazilian response is being discussed among the four countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), and in two weeks, or in three weeks, we will have definitively delivered the proposal to the EU“Lula said at a press conference in Brussels, after participating Monday and Tuesday in the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (celac) with the EU.
Main leaders on the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union
At the summit held at the beginning of July in Puerto Iguazú, in which Brazil assumed the pro tempore presidency of Mercosur, the presidents of the South American bloc agreed on the need to advance in the ratification of the agreement with the EU, closed in principle in 2019 after after 20 years of negotiations, but they insisted that it be fair to both parties.
“I am optimistic that we will be able to conclude this agreement still this year. Note that I am still saying this year, because it would be good if we have an agreement with Spain in the presidency of the EU and my pro tempore presidency at the head of Mercosur”Lula said, in statements collected by the AFP agency.
Agreement between the European Union and Mercosur
In March, the EU presented an additional instrument to the mercosur in which he incorporated a series of additional environmental requirements that could harm the export of certain products from the regionso it was met with resistance from some countries.
the argentinian president Alberto Fernandez asked, on that occasion, an agreement “balanced“, which takes into account the asymmetries, although he expressed that there is “political will” to signwhile Lula considered that the new conditions are “unacceptable” and represent a “threat”, but he also expressed his intention to close the pact.
In Brussels, the Brazilian president insisted that the “side letter” presented by the Europeans is “aggressive” for the regional bloc, since it threatened sanctions if certain environmental requirements were not met.
Therefore, when the head of the European Commission (executive arm of the EU), Ursula von der Leyenvisited Brazil, Lula clarified that “strategic partners do not argue with threats, but with proposals”.
In addition, he pointed out that European countries cannot give Brazil lessons in environmental matters, since his country has committed to the protection of the Amazon.
In any case, he said that after his visit to Brussels it was “Very optimist” that there will be an agreement before the end of the year, a will also expressed these days by Von der Leyen, as well as by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
“The wealth of negotiation is that someone has to give in”, Lula maintained, according to the agency Europa Press
“We believe that the European Union will agree with our answer. I believe that the additional letter was possibly prepared by someone who thought that by pressing us we would give in. No, we are not going to give in”he added.
Source: Ambito
