Negotiations between European Union and Mercosur on Association Agreement

Author Details
Author (Corporate)
Publication Date 1999-
Content Type

Summary:

Reports, analyses and information on the negotiations undertaken between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur (or Mercosul) to conclude a trade agreement between the two regional markets.

Further information:

The Association Agreement (AA) between Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union is composed of a political and cooperation pillar, as well as a trade pillar. The negotiations for such an agreement began in June 2000 with the objective of achieving a greater level of political and economic cooperation and integrayion within the Mercosur and with the EU. The negotiations experienced different stages.

In 2004, the EU and Mercosur held intensive negotiations aimed at concluding trade talks by the end of October. However, a ministerial meeting held on 31 October concluded that the negotiations required more time. The suspension of the negotiations followed an exchange of market offers, which revealed substantial differences concerning the level of liberalisation of trade in agricultural goods, services and public procurement markets. Trade talks resumed between 2010 and 2012. In May 2016, the two regional markets rel-aunched the negotiation process yet again, exchanged new market access offers and intensified the pace of negotiations by holding negotiation rounds and meeting at regular intervals.

A political agreement was reached on 28 June 2019 as regards a trade agreement. The trade deal envisages the removal of the majority of tariffs on EU exports to Mercosur.

Deforestation and wildfires affecting the Amazon forest - blamed on carelessness by some South American countries - brought into question the willingness by some EU member states to ratify the agreement, raising concerns over the length of the ratification process.

 

[This entry is a work in a progress, subject to further development]

Related Links
Commentary and Analysis
EurActiv, 24/07/2014: Analyst: Agriculture remains an obstacle to EU-Mercosur pact https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/interview/analyst-agriculture-remains-an-obstacle-to-eu-mercosur-pact/
Elcano Royal Institute: Expert Comment, 31/01/2017: EU-Mercosur: tapping the Atlantic’s potential http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_en/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/commentary-lamoso-eu-mercosur-tapping-atlantic-potential
LSE Consulting: Sustainability Impact Assessment in support of association agreement negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur [Inception Report - January 2018] http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/march/tradoc_156631.pdf
Deutsche Welle, 28/06/2019: Mercosur-EU trade deal faces criticism https://p.dw.com/p/3LDe9
Deutsche Welle, 29/06/2019: EU-Mercosur free trade deal — What you need to know https://p.dw.com/p/3LKrf
Euro|topics, July 2019: EU and South America clinch free trade deal https://www.eurotopics.net/en/222532/
EurActiv, 02/07/2019: EU farmers boss: ‘Devastating’ Mercosur trade pact exposes Europe’s double standards https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-farmers-boss-devastating-mercosur-trade-pact-exposes-europes-double-standards/
Deutsche Welle, 16/07/2019: The winners and losers of the EU-MERCOSUR trade deal https://p.dw.com/p/3M85o
The Economist, 25/07/2019: Latin America and Europe have much to gain from closer ties https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2019/07/25/latin-america-and-europe-have-much-to-gain-from-closer-ties
EurActiv, 25/07/2019: Is the EU-Mercosur deal being highjacked by premature criticism? https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/is-the-eu-mercosur-deal-being-highjacked-by-premature-criticism/
EPRS: Briefing, August 2019: International Agreements in Progress: The trade pillar of the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)640138
Human Rights Watch: News, 06/07/2020: Letter to the European Union on the EU-Mercosur Deal https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/06/letter-european-union-eu-mercosur-deal
IDDRI: Blog, 09/09/2020: The EU-Mercosur trade agreement: can a trade treaty be greened? https://www.iddri.org/en/publications-and-events/blog-post/eu-mercosur-trade-agreement-can-trade-treaty-be-greened
openDemocracy: Can Europe Make It?, 23/09/2020: Time is ticking to stop the EU-Mercosur trade deal https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/time-ticking-stop-eu-mercosur-trade-deal/
EPRS: At a Glance, October 2020: Amazon deforestation and EU-Mercosur deal https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)659311

News
European Voice, 22/07/1998: Marín side-steps bid to block Mercosur talks https://www.politico.eu/article/marin-side-steps-bid-to-block-mercosur-talks/
EurActiv, 16/06/2014: Merkel wants hurdles removed to EU-Mercosur free trade pact https://www.euractiv.com/section/trade-society/news/merkel-wants-hurdles-removed-to-eu-mercosur-free-trade-pact/
Deutsche Welle, 16/06/2014: Rousseff, Merkel seek progress toward EU-Mercosur free trade deal https://p.dw.com/p/1CJ6Z
EurActiv, 23/02/2016: Mercosur makes EU free trade offer before French visit https://www.euractiv.com/section/development-policy/news/mercosur-makes-eu-free-trade-offer-before-french-visit/
EurActiv, 13/05/2016: Farmers: Mercosur deal will hit EU agricultural exports ‘tremendously’ https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/mercosur-deal-will-tremendously-hit-eu-agricultural-exports-farmers-warn/
EurActiv, 21/04/2017: EU and Mercosur ‘committed’ to reach deal by end of year https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eu-and-mercosur-committed-to-reach-deal-by-end-of-year/
Reuters, 28/06/2019: EU, Mercosur strike trade pact, defying protectionist wave https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1TT2KD
BBC News, 28/06/2019: EU and Mercosur agree huge trade deal after 20-year talks https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48807161
Reuters, 30/06/2019: Brazil president says EU-Mercosur deal to come into force in up to three years https://uk.reuters.com/article/-idUKKCN1TV0SY
The Irish Times, 30/06/2019: EU’s Mercosur deal ‘very disappointing for Irish beef sector’ – Creed https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/eu-s-mercosur-deal-very-disappointing-for-irish-beef-sector-creed-1.3942204
RTÉ News, 30/06/2019: Ireland will vote against Mercosur deal if risks outweigh benefits - Taoiseach https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0630/1059347-govt-to-assess-mercosur-impact-before-decision-on-vote/
RTL Today, 01/07/2019: EU, S. America trade deal a 'dark moment' for farmers https://today.rtl.lu/news/business-and-tech/a/1369720.html
Politico, 11/07/2019: Irish parliament rejects EU-Mercosur deal in symbolic vote https://www.politico.eu/article/irish-parliament-rejects-eu-mercosur-deal-in-symbolic-vote/
RTÉ News, 11/07/2019: Govt defeated as Dáil votes to reject EU-Mercosur trade deal https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0711/1061588-mercosur-dail-vote/
EurActiv, 12/07/2019: Irish parliament calls on government to thwart EU-Mercosur deal https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/irish-parliament-calls-on-government-to-thwart-eu-mercosur-deal/
Reuters, 15/07/2019: Italian farmers oppose EU-Mercosur trade deal: Italy's agriculture minister https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1UA1G2
EurActiv, 16/07/2019: EU farm chief struggles to dispel concerns over Mercosur trade deal https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-farm-chief-struggles-to-dispel-concerns-over-mercosur-trade-deal/
EUObserver, 24/07/2019: Commission defends Mercosur trade deal https://euobserver.com/economic/145525
Reuters, 16/08/2019: Deforestation in Brazil, vote in Argentina endanger EU-Mercosur pact https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1V61OZ
EurActiv, 23/08/2019: France and Ireland threaten to vote against EU-Mercosur deal https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/ireland-threatens-to-vote-against-eu-mercosur-deal/
BBC News, 23/08/2019: Amazon fires: Brazil threatened over EU trade deal https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-49450495
The Local (Spain), 25/08/2019: Spain opposed to blocking EU-Mercosur trade pact: government https://www.thelocal.es/20190825/spain-opposed-to-blocking-eu-mercosur-trade-pact-government
Reuters, 27/08/2019: Brazil official says EU-Mercosur trade pact still under review https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1VH1KN
Swissinfo.ch, 01/09/2019: Economics minister defends Mercosur deal and casts doubt on EU deal before next year https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/trade-deals_swiss-economics-minister-defends-mercosur-deal-and-casts-doubt-on-eu-deal-before-next-year/45199272
BBC News, 19/09/2019: Austria blocks EU-Mercosur trade deal with South America https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49753210
Deutsche Welle, 19/09/2019: Austria deals first blow to EU-Mercosur trade pact https://p.dw.com/p/3Pqgl
The Guardian, 19/09/2019: Austria rejects EU-Mercosur trade deal over Amazon fires https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/19/austria-rejects-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-over-amazon-fires
Bloomberg, 05/12/2019: Implement EU-Mercosur Trade Deal Swiftly, Says Bolsonaro https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-05/implement-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-swiftly-says-bolsonaro
EurActiv, 01/07/2020: EU-Mercosur agreement to be signed by end of year, Mercosur presidency hopes https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eu-mercosur-agreement-to-be-signed-by-end-of-year-mercosur-presidency-hopes/
MercoPress, 22/09/2020: EU conditions ratification of trade deal with Mercosur: France and Germany lead objections https://en.mercopress.com/2020/09/22/eu-conditions-ratification-of-trade-deal-with-mercosur-france-and-germany-lead-objections
France24, 23/09/2020: Brazil rejects deforestation concerns on EU-Mercosur deal https://www.france24.com/en/20200923-brazil-rejects-deforestation-concerns-on-eu-mercosur-deal
RTL Today, 28/09/2020: Luxembourg opposes the draft EU-Mercosur agreement https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/1586962.html
Reuters, 13/10/2020: Brazil keen to show EU-Mercosur accord still has support in Europe https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKBN26Y1UB

Official
European Commission: DG Trade: EU-Mercosur Association Agreement http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/eu-mercosur-association-agreement/
EP: Legislative Train: EU-Mercosur Association Agreement http://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-balanced-and-progressive-trade-policy-to-harness-globalisation/file-eu-mercosur-association-agreement/06-2019
European Commission: DG Trade: News, 27/03/2017: Joint EU-Mercosur Communiqué Following the 27th Round of Negotiations http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1639
European Commission: DG Trade: Report of the XXVII negotiation round on the trade part of the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement [March 2017] http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2017/april/tradoc_155477.pdf
European Commission: Press Release, 28/06/2019: EU and Mercosur reach agreement on trade http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-3396_en.htm
European Commission: Remarks by President Juncker at the joint press conference with President Macri in the presence of EU and Mercosur leaders, 29 June 2019 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-19-3468_en.htm

Subject Categories ,
Subject Tags
Keywords ,
International Organisations ,