MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, March 29th 2024 - 00:39 UTC

 

 

Rousseff claims EU has yet to agree on a proposal to exchange with Mercosur

Thursday, August 7th 2014 - 08:10 UTC
Full article 11 comments
“Stop blaming us because we are ready, we have our proposal ready”, Rousseff told the lobby of Brazilian farmers “Stop blaming us because we are ready, we have our proposal ready”, Rousseff told the lobby of Brazilian farmers
With France, Hungary and Ireland they have 'support problems' said Rousseff quoting outgoing EC president Barroso With France, Hungary and Ireland they have 'support problems' said Rousseff quoting outgoing EC president Barroso

President Dilma Rousseff claimed before the Brazil's farmers lobby that the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union is stalled and is not fulfilled because of the 'resistance' from several European countries, and specifically named France, Hungary and Ireland.

 “Let them stop blaming us because we are ready, we have our proposal”. said Rousseff referring to the Mercosur tariff reduction proposal to be exchanged with the EU, and which are needed to resume negotiations for a trade deal with negotiations that have been going on and off for the last fifteen years.

Rousseff who is bidding re-election next 5 October participated in an event sponsored by the powerful Agriculture National Confederation, CNA, and which also included the presence of her two main rivals, Aecio Neves and Eduardo Campos.

Neves and Campos addressed the assembly before Rousseff and both pledged that in case of winning the election they are determined to make 'more flexible' Mercosur rules, so that Brazil can negotiate trade accords with third parties independently from the mandatory consensus needed now from all members.

However Rousseff pointed out that it was not because of those procedures that the block made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela (although Caracas is not part of the deal because it only recently joined), hadn't been able to resume negotiations.

The idea is that the proposals are presented and exchanged simultaneously, but “the EU has not yet concluded its listing”, said the Brazilian leader.

“With France, Hungary and Ireland, they are having support problems” and besides there are political sectors which are blaming part of the current crisis situation in the EU precisely on its open markets policy.

“Mercosur after much effort has arrived to a proposal which many believed would not be achieved”, said Rousseff adding that the matter of the fact is “that now it is the EU that has to conclude its proposal and reach an internal agreement”.

The Brazilian leader revealed that it was outgoing European Commission president José Manuel Durao Barroso who informed of the situation during his recent (18 July) visit to Brazil and anticipated “it will still take two months before the EU agrees”.

Top Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules
  • ChrisR

    Message from me to the EU

    DON'T DO IT!

    YOU HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITHOUT GETTING INTO BED WITH THIS THIRD WORLD COUNTRY AND THEIR MURDERING COMMIE 'LEADER'.

    Ha, ha, ha.

    Aug 07th, 2014 - 11:34 am 0
  • Conqueror

    No-one “needs” mercosur. It's a quasi, half-baked, illegitimate organisation prevalent in a criminal area of somewhere.

    Aug 07th, 2014 - 11:49 am 0
  • Briton

    Why is the EU so desperate to do business with these 3rd world corrupt government's,
    oh yes, seeing as the EU is getting more corrupt every day,
    And without the UK they will just get worse...lol

    Aug 07th, 2014 - 12:39 pm 0
Read all comments

Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!