A free trade agreement with Mercosur is a “priority” for Europe, The chief negotiator of the European Union for an FTA with the South American bloc, Rupert Schlegelmilch, assured on Tuesday that he hopes to seal this pact. “as soon as possible”.
“Regardless of the circumstances, this agreement has remained a priority for us. It is absolutely a priority”said Schlegelmilch when starting a tour of the South American bloc in Uruguay.
The FTA, which seeks to eliminate most of the tariffs between the two zones to create a commercial space for more than 700 million consumers and equivalent to a quarter of the world’s GDP, has been under discussion for 25 years.
“We are running a marathon and we are in the last 100 meters. But it is an obstacle course and to finish it you have to make a great final effort.”stated Schlegelmilch, when speaking at the III European Business Meeting in Uruguay.
“This trip is an effort in that sense,”added the diplomat, who in addition to Montevideo will visit Asunción, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Brasilia.
The 27 EU countries and the founding partners of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) closed a political agreement in 2019 with a view to an FTA after two decades of complex negotiations.
But the pact – supported by the German industrial sector and especially resisted by French farmers, who fear unfair competition – is still pending adoption, amid disagreements focused on the protection of the Amazon in Brazil.
“We are discussing commitments on deforestation with the Mercosur countries. This is a very sensitive issue in Europe.“Schlegelmilch told reporters.
During a visit to Brazil at the end of March, French President Emmanuel Macron called the agreement under discussion “very bad” and proposed making “a new one.”
Schlegelmilch said that the talks with Brazil “they have advanced but they are not finished“, he thanked Uruguay’s pragmatic position in the negotiation, and said that Argentina under the government of Javier Milei is a partner “constructive”.
Asked about when he hopes to close the FTA, he said: “as quickly as possible” and ventured that it could be “in June-July.”
“Europe would like to establish a strategic vision of its relations with the world, and in this vision,” an FTA with Mercosur “It is a commercial agreement, but also a very, very important political one,” stood out.
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Source: Gestion
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