After the election of Javier Milei as President of the Nationthe Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvaspoke with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenabout the negotiations to close an agreement free tradebetween Mercosur and the European Union (EU).
“The Brazilian government occupies the presidency of Mercosur Until December the 7th and has already discussed with the European Union the final points of the agreement between both blocks. President Lula recently spoke about the issue with the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchezwho holds the rotating presidency of the European bloc,” indicated a statement from the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.
According to the text, Lula and Von der Leyen discussed for half an hour on “the progress in the negotiation of the agreement between the Mercosur and the European Union”.
Lula will host December 7th at the Museum of Tomorrow, in Rio de Janeiro, where it will be held the Mercosur summitin which the rotating presidency of the bloc will be passed to Paraguay.
Mercosur-EU Agreement: what is known so far
The EU and Mercosur, which They make up Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguayare trying to finalize a free trade agreement after reaching another agreement in early 2019, after Two decades of negotiations.
In March, the EU presented an additional instrument to Mercosur in which it incorporated a series of additional environmental requirements that could harm the export of certain products from the region, so he found himself with the “endurance” from some countries.
This point was cataloged by Lula as a “threat”, despite expressing his intention to close the pact, like the Argentine president Alberto Fernandez.
Mercosur, for its part, submitted his formal counteroffer in early September, after which the EU said it remains committed to close a commercial agreement.
At the end of September, the Paraguayan president, Santiago Penareiterated that his country would suspend negotiations with the EU if they did not reach an agreement before assuming the pro tempore presidency of the block.
Source: Ambito
