The Heads of State and Government of the European Union will receive the leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean this Monday at a summit aimed at giving a new political impetus to the trade relationship between the two blocs. Representatives from 54 governments will meet in Brussels.
At a sensitive time in the geopolitical landscape, the summit’s closing statement should avoid polemical issues. According to DN, however, there should be a paragraph about Ukraine. Negotiations to reach a common position on a divisive issue are “the most difficult”, according to a European source.
A working document consulted by DN, which contained one of the versions of the final statement, mentioned a condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The document, which has since been amended to reflect the views of countries less critical of Moscow, reads: “We condemn the ongoing war in Ukraine, which continues to cause immense human suffering and exacerbate existing weaknesses in the global economy, limited growth, increasing inflation, disruption of supply chains, increasing energy and food insecurity and increasing risks to financial stability”.
European sources admitted that the statement could be “much more limited”, with a condemnation “in the language of the United Nations”, in line with the resolution approved by the UN General Assembly, “declaring the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and demands its full and unconditional withdrawal from Ukrainian territory”.
The document also refers to more general language, as it is “essential to defend international law and the multilateral system”, as a way to ensure “peace and stability”.
Madrid has offered to help Kiev with contacts with Latin American and Caribbean leaders to explain Ukraine’s peace plan. According to information released by the Spanish media, on July 1, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, proposed to the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, to usher in the President of the Council of the European Union Ukrainian government, Volodymyr Zelensky to expand your contacts beyond the European Union and NATO.
Meetings
This morning, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will receive the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at a meeting at the Community Executive headquarters, where the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, will also participate .
MERCOSUR
A new political impulse is expected for the conclusion of the trade agreement with Mercosur. However, this is one of the meeting’s most demanding topics, as the ratification process has stalled since a political agreement was reached in 2019 after almost two decades of negotiations.
Some analysts saw 2023 as an opportunity for his conclusion, assuming that – including Lisbon and Brasília, as well as Madrid – the summit starting next Monday in Brussels could provide the most appropriate background for the final push. But there are usual obstacles that dampen optimism.
It should be recalled that this was one of the topics raised at the 18th Ibero-American Summit, which emphasized the “tremendous expectation” of the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, that “Mercosur in particular” would make progress can book during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. António Costa emphasized that “the cost of not doing it is much higher than the cost of doing it”. In doing so, he appealed to “everyone’s commitment”.
However, some governments have considered the possibility of reopening negotiations. French President Emmanuel Macron demanded “mirror clauses” that set health and environmental standards that producers on both sides must meet. Otherwise, he warned, the agreement is “not possible”.
This position is gaining momentum in the European Parliament, in various political groups. This is the case with the MEP, Anna Cavazzini (Greens), shadow rapporteur in the Mercosur group, who argues that “a bad deal” cannot be finalized “if it is not renegotiated in central areas such as sustainability and forest protection. “
The European Commission is committed to “working hard” ahead of the July summit. Brussels prepared an “interpretative statement” as an annex to the agreement, with the aim of clearing up ambiguities. However, it should be noted that it has not been enough.
French MEP Marie-Pierre Vedrenne (Renew Europe) considers an “additional declaration” involving only “non-binding” measures to be inadmissible. The document sent to Mercosur representatives to the European Commission only received a response over the weekend.
Brussels attaches strategic importance to Mercosur. It is estimated that by 2021, EU exports to Mercosur countries “total €45 billion” while Mercosur for the EU reached “€43 billion”. Minerals, vegetables including soybeans and coffee, food products, beverages and tobacco top the import list.
The EU mainly exports machinery, equipment, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The services sector is significant: in 2020 it amounted to €17.2 billion for Mercosur and €7.7 billion in the opposite direction. Over the past 20 years, European investments in the four countries have almost tripled to “€330 billion”.
According to AICEP, Portuguese exports to Brazil have shown an increasing trend over the past four years and will represent 1.2% of the total in 2022. Brazil is the 7th largest supplier to the Portuguese economy: 4.2% of the total, a significant increase from 49.1%. In 2022, there was a trade deficit for Portugal of €3,650 million. In terms of exports, most are agricultural products (45.7%). In terms of imports, mineral fuels stand out (59.1%). Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay have less influence on the Portuguese trade balance.
Declaration
The final statement “will be a much smaller document” than originally envisioned, according to a European source at DN. As far as could be ascertained, of the 13 pages of the first version of the text, only three remain, after the paragraphs on tax affairs, science, cyber security, cultural dialogue, right of access to drinking water, public debt, digital, space, migrations, nuclear energy, sanitation, terrorism, green and digital transition [embora se mantenha a referência sobre o clima].
meetings
Portugal will be represented by Prime Minister António Costa and Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho, who will hold bilateral meetings with the Brazilian delegation, which will be led by President Lula da Silva.
The Prime Minister is also meeting with the leaders of Costa Rica and Argentina, while the Foreign Minister is meeting with the governments of Jamaica, El Salvador and Mexico. It will also have joint meetings with representatives from Chile and Colombia.
institutions
At the institutional level, the aim is to create a coordination mechanism that guarantees the organization of regular summits between the two blocs every 2 years, without a country having to request it.
The aim is to deepen the relationship at a time when the European Union is looking to diversify its supply chains and ensure its strategic autonomy. The topic is gaining relevance given the influence of other global actors in Latin America, namely China, which sees the EU as a competitor in this regard, and Russia, which is seen as a threat.
Source: DN
