MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur to meet 7 March to finalize the proposal to be presented to EU

Barbosa said that Argentina's participation in the preparations is 'evolving positively'

In early March Mercosur will have readied its proposal to liberate trade to be presented to the European Union, the basis for a wide-ranging cooperation and trade agreement between the two blocks, announced Rubens Barbosa, head of the Trade Council from the Sao Paulo State Industries Federation, FIESP.

 “Mercosur members are scheduled to meet 7 March to ultimate their proposal”. said Barbosa a former Brazilian ambassador in Washington and a trade expert who advises FIESP and is currently in Paraguay attending a business conference.

“The idea is that in March we have the final proposal to present the EU”, said Barbosa who added that Mercosur members negotiations for a common presentation are “advancing adequately”.

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay recently held a technical meeting in Caracas earlier this month to try and converge the different positions. Apparently Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have agreed to an ambitious presentation, but Argentina is still reluctant to go that far.

While many analysts in Brazil are doubting Argentina is really interested in advancing in the current negotiations given its policy of securing its domestic market and industries and jobs, Barbosa insisted that the participation of President Cristina Fernandez administration is 'evolving positively'.

”I am under the impression that there is a growing consensus that we will advance, (the four members) together”, indicated Barbosa.

The Brazilian expert added that such an agreement would definitively break Mercosur current 'isolation' given the scarce number of agreements with other countries and economic spaces (Israel, Egypt, Palestine), which are clearly more political.

The agreement with the EU “opens the possibility of integrating into the global productive chain, which is positive for all Mercosur members”, concluded Barbosa.

The powerful FIESP brings together 130.000 Brazilian companies involved in manufacturing and is a formidable lobby. FIESP is always consulted by the Brazilian government.