Source: European Parliament
The Commission views the EU-Mercosur Agreement as politically and economically vital. The Commission’s objective is to ensure that the EU-Mercosur Agreement[1] delivers on the EU’s sustainability goals, while respecting the EU’s sensitivities in the agricultural sector.
Chief Negotiators met in October 2024 to discuss the outstanding issues. These include: the EU proposal for a Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Joint Instrument[2], inclusion of the Paris Agreement as an essential element of the EU-Mercosur Agreement and Mercosur’s interests in the areas of public procurement, vehicles, export duties, a rebalancing mechanism, and a protocol on cooperation.
On 6 December at the Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, the EU and Mercosur reached a political agreement concluding the negotiations.
In September 2024, eleven Member States[3] addressed a letter to the President expressing strong support for a rapid conclusion of the negotiations on the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
These Member States reiterated the high geopolitical and geoeconomic importance of the Agreement and its essential role in maintaining the EU’s economic and political influence in the region.
They also noted that the agreement provides a unique platform for cooperation between the EU and the Mercosur countries on trade and sustainable development matters, ensuring that we can achieve our common sustainability and climate change ambitions.
- [1] https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/mercosur/eu-mercosur-agreement_en
- [2] https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/da997440-4edb-437d-aa4a-3cb9a5e77930/details?download=true
- [3] The following Member States are signatories to the letter: Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.