MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur and EU try again.

The European Union and Mercosur have postponed until next Friday the exchange of new negotiations proposals in the framework of the association, trade and cooperation agreement that has been under discussion by both blocks for over four years.

No further details of the postponement were offered by the EU Executive in Brussels.

However this Friday both trade blocks are scheduled to present new liberalization proposals for trade in goods, services, government procurement and investments, hopefully in time for an agreement by next October.

Following the Friday meeting Mercosur and EU delegations will be holding a further round of talks, the thirteenth, in Brussels early May to assess the proposals presented.

Mercosur expects that the new EU proposal includes a greater market opening for agriculture.

The EU will be looking closely at the government procurement proposal, which should have been ready last year but differences among Mercosur's four full members (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) have impeded so far a formal presentation.

EU is also interested in a greater Mercosur opening for industrial goods and services.

At the end of May the Euro-Latinamerica summit will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, for when both sides expect to have a clearer idea of the chances of reaching an agreement by next October.