The European Union (EU) is trying to adopt a “constructive approach” with the countries of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), through an “intense calendar” of meetings, to resolve “pending issues” with a view to reaching a trade agreement to End of the year.
The position was transmitted to the Lusa agency by an official source from the European Commission – the institution that negotiates the EU’s trade policy -, on the day that negotiators from both sides of the Atlantic meet in Brasilia.
According to the spokesman for the community executive of Commerce, Olof Gill, “the main point on the agenda for discussion at the meeting of main negotiators, which will take place this Tuesday and tomorrow [quarta-feira] in Brasilia, is Mercosur’s response to the EU addendum document on sustainability”.
Asked by Lusa about the progress of the work, Olof Gil indicated that “both parties are working constructively, reflecting on pending issues and have agreed on an intense agenda of meetings for the coming weeks to ensure a quick conclusion.”
“This is in line with the commitment made at the presidential level to conclude the negotiations before the end of the year,” said the official.
Representatives of the EU and Mercosur will meet this Tuesday and Wednesday in Brasilia to continue negotiations on the trade agreement between both blocs.
The EU and Mercosur have maintained regular contacts, with the aim of concluding negotiations on the annex to the agreement, relating to environmental commitments.
In the middle of this month, the negotiators of this trade agreement met again digitally to discuss it, when Mercosur responded to the EU by expressing a “greater commitment” to conclude the protocol before the end of the year.
EU and Mercosur negotiators are finalizing talks to conclude this trade agreement, approved five years ago, but which has been challenged within the community bloc on competition and environmental grounds.
Brazil currently holds the rotating presidency of Mercosur.
The EU-Mercosur agreement covers the 27 EU Member States plus Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, which is equivalent to 25% of the global economy and 780 million people, almost 10% of the world’s population.
Within the EU, countries such as France and Austria question the EU-Mercosur agreement on trade and environmental grounds.
Source: TSF
