Back in May, we wrote that the EU was preparing to quickly approve a trade agreement with Mercosur countries shortly after the June elections to the European Parliament. This agreement, negotiated for two decades, was one of the priorities of the then and, as it turns out, current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, already elected after the above-mentioned elections. This was indicated by the words of Rupert Schlegelmilch, Brussels's chief negotiator.
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Is the EU preparing to quickly approve the agreement with the Mercosur bloc?
Confirmed meeting under the agreement with Mercosur countries
– We are leaving for Brasilia for a personal round of negotiations on September 4-6, said a European diplomat. And he added very important words. – The timetable for concluding an agreement at the end of the year is realistic – said the diplomat quoted by Euractiv.
As reported further, the meeting was also confirmed by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is true that representatives of the foreign ministries of Argentina and Uruguay did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on this matter, and officials in Paraguay did not react at all. But the meeting was confirmed anyway.
We recall that the EU and Mercosur reached a political agreement on the final text in 2019, but ratification of the document stalled due to concerns about the environment and the impact on the EU agricultural sector, which were notably communicated by France and other EU countries. The agreement is a particular threat to agricultural countries such as Poland. Now it turns out that after the elections, people quickly come back to the topic and announce specifics.
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Brussels is pushing for an agreement with Mercosur countries, despite France's opposition
Agreement by the end of the year?
Importantly, the agreement is opposed by French, German and Belgian farmers who protested against competition from cheaper imports from South America. Our farmers also have a similar opinion on this matter. They feel threatened, and with good reason, because the agricultural market of Mercosour countries is huge. The countries of the so-called Mercosur, includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
On the other hand, Ursula von der Leyen, re-elected as the head of the European Commission, and the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, committed to concluding an agreement by the end of the year. And after winning the elections, it turns out that they stick to their intentions.
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Agreement with Mercosur countries. Will EU agriculture be a victim?
