MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

EU and Latam lawmakers more positive about a trade agreement with Mercosur

Plenary rapporteur María Muñiz de Urquiza: how to overcome the fear of association agreements

The outcome of a two-day European and Latin America lawmakers’ meeting in Uruguay was considered very positive and a strong message to forward negotiations on the sensitive EU/Mercosur trade and cooperation agreement.

“The outcome of the plenary is very encouraging and sends a very positive message which will surely help to push forward negotiations on sensitive agreements like the one with Mercosur”, said Jose Ignacio Salafranca (PP, Spain) co-president of the EuroLat Fifth Plenary Assembly held in Montevideo.

As a good example of EuroLat’s diplomatic success Salafranca also mentioned the decision of President Fernando Lugo from Paraguay (that currently holds the Mercosur rotating chair) to attend a meeting with the European Parliament delegations on EuroLat and Mercosur in Brussels next Tuesday

Co-president Salafranca added that the diplomatic achievements of this fifth plenary session “clearly show that the Eurolat Assembly is consolidating its strength, both politically, as is shown by the presence of Uruguay's President José Mujica, Colombia's Vice-President Angelino Garzón and three ministers at the meetings, and content wise”.

The Plenary rapporteur María Muñiz de Urquiza (S&D, Spain) underlined the importance of these meetings which show “we must overcome our fear of concluding new association agreements, especially now that representatives from both sides are questioning the trade deal with Mercosur”.

She added that experience shows that such agreements bring a broader political co-operation and the gradual opening of markets, always regulated by norms relating to the harmonization of social, environmental and health standards, “and this is good for both parties, for their industries, their productive companies and above all for their civil societies” said rapporteur Muñiz de Urquiza.

The Spanish MEP also highlighted the broad consensus achieved on compromise amendments dealing with the most sensitive topics, such as the need to guarantee fair competition among farmers based on common standards and traceability rules for imported agricultural products, all of which she said would help to overcome European farmers' fears about the new trade agreement.

Other key articles called for further trade rules to ensure access to cheap medicines in developing countries, for the protection of indigenous populations and their traditional economies, for support to lift Cuba's trade ban and for every trade agreement to include a section on sustainable development, formulated with the direct involvement of NGOs.

Mercosur and the EU have been holding a round of discussions to reach a trade and cooperation agreement which was resumed May 2010 but has lately faced resistance from interests on both sides. In EU the resistance is led by France and Ireland with strong support from farm lobbies and the European Parliament that has conditioned approval of any agreement to the well being of farmers and rural employment.