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Montevideo, March 28th 2024 - 23:19 UTC

 

 

New effort by Brazil to have Mercosur comply with the EU agreed timetable

Wednesday, December 4th 2013 - 06:18 UTC
Full article 21 comments
Itamaraty trusts all member countries are committed Itamaraty trusts all member countries are committed
President Rousseff and her EU peer Van Rompuy President Rousseff and her EU peer Van Rompuy

Brazil trusts Mercosur and the European Union can exchange the proposed tariff lists for a free trade agreement keeping to the original schedule, before the end of the year, according to the country's foreign ministry.

 “We are in the final stages of the Mercosur common proposal, all country-members are committed and we trust that the timetable will be met”, said Ronaldo Costa Filho, head of International Negotiations from the ministry.

Mercosur and Europe agreed last January during a ministerial meeting that both sides would be presenting their tariff-list proposal to open respective markets at the end of 2013, so as to advance with the negotiation, re-launched in 2010 following a six year stall.

In a summit at the beginning of the year in Brasilia EU president Herman Van Rompuy and President Dilma Rousseff pledged a “quick” conclusion of the agreement. Brazilian industry lobbies have come out strongly in favor of two-speed negotiation if there is no agreement among Mercosur members.

The initiative has the support of Uruguay but Brazil although exhausted with its 'strategic patience' towards Argentina, remains officially mute on the issue, calling for compliance with the timetable.

Under the Mercosur charter, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and the latest incorporation, Venezuela, must negotiate trade agreements as a group. Brazil is doing its utmost to keep in the fold. Venezuela is still in the process of adapting its rules and tariffs to those of Mercosur and will not be of the party, yet.

Top Comments

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  • Anglotino

    Brazil seems to be adamant that it will sign a deal.

    I wonder what will happen if Argentina continues to drag its feet. Everyone can live without Argentina but can Brazil do without the EU?

    Dec 04th, 2013 - 10:13 am 0
  • Forgetit86

    UN rapporteur calls out Venezuela on media harassment:

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/02/guardian-terrorism-snowden-alan-rusbridger-free-press

    Oh, my bad, it was actually Britain that he was talking about.

    Dec 04th, 2013 - 12:15 pm 0
  • LEPRecon

    Yup,

    Brazil seems to be getting very tired and impatient with Argentina now.

    I wonder if they'll vote Argentina out of Mercosur, or whether Brazil will just leave Mercosur.

    Either way it won't do Argentina any good.

    Dec 04th, 2013 - 02:00 pm 0
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