MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Encouraging news for EU-Mercosur.

The recent naming of a former left wing Italian Primer Minister as head of the European Parliament Mercosur Committee was seen as a positive sign for the ongoing trade negotiations between the two blocks which have an agreed October 31 deadline.

Euro Deputy Massimo D'Alema, currently president of the Left Wing Democrats, (the strongest centre left force in the Italian Parliament) and a close friend of Mercosur member countries which he has visited on several occasions, anticipated his intention was to "help open more fluid channels" that would lead to the signing of a trade agreement between both blocks.

However Mr. D'Alema emphasized that this would be possible "if there's political will from both sides".

Invited this week to share lunch at the Argentine embassy in Rome with Mercosur member country ambassadors, Mr. D'Alema said the meeting should be interpreted as a "first contact" but promised his full support from the European Parliament for the negotiations.

"It was a very important and positive meeting since we have close links with Mr. D'Alema and we are very glad about his recent nomination", indicated Argentine ambassador Victorio Tacetti.

Mercosur and EU a few months ago agreed on the self imposed October 31 deadline for the trade negotiations because on that day the European Commission will be changing authorities: former Portuguese Prime Minister Durao Barroso takes over from Romando Prodi as EC president and Trade Representative Pascal Lamy will be replaced by British born Peter Mendelson.

"We need to reach an agreement now so it becomes effective in 2005. If not we'll be talking to a new Commission and this will further delay negotiations", underlined ambassador Tacetti.

Apparently Mr. D'Alema was particularly interested in the state of the current trade negotiations which actually began in 1999 but remained stalled during most of 2004 because Mercosur was insisting on greater market access for agriculture produce and the EU improved participation in government procurement, telecommunications, financial services and investments.

The European Union is scheduled to present Mercosur this Wednesday its final proposal. Mercosur did something similar last Saturday, and once both blocks have assessed the documents, they will decide if conditions are ready to advance towards the October deadline.