Euractiv | 7 August 2024
EU-Mercosur to meet in September signaling movement in trade talks
European Union and South American negotiators will meet on 4-6 September in Brasilia in the first in-person talks since April, raising hopes an EU-Mercosur trade deal can be concluded this year, diplomats said.
In the works for two decades, an agreement has been delayed by European concerns over environmental safeguards and complaints by the Mercosur trade bloc that those questions are motivated by protectionism.
“We are traveling to Brasilia for an in-person round of negotiations 4-6 September,” a European diplomat said. “The end-of-year timetable for conclusion is realistic,” he said.
Brazil’s foreign ministry confirmed the dates of the meeting. Foreign ministry representatives in Argentina and Uruguay did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Officials in Paraguay did not respond.
The talks suffered a blow in March when French President called it a “very bad deal” on a visit to Brazil, voicing the opposition of French farmers. Negotiations were put on hold until after the EU’s parliamentary elections in June.
Diplomats said the issues on the table remain the same, including European protection of food product names and Brazilian opposition to an EU anti-deforestation law due to go into effect next year that could affects its exports.
French, German and Belgian farmers have protested against competition from cheaper South American imports.
EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had committed themselves to concluding the agreement by the end of the year.
At this stage, the EU is the main driver of the fresh push to finish the deal, which will open up markets for European companies, said international relations scholar Ignacio Bartesaghi at Uruguay’s Catholic University.
“Brazil wants to give a sense of continuity to the negotiations,” said Bartesaghi, due to fears Argentina’s President Javier Milei would pull out, though his government has supported the talks since taking office.
