MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Trade agreement with EU “depends on Mercosur” warns top EC official
The conclusion of a trade and cooperation agreement between the European Union and Mercosur ‘only depends on the bloc’ said the European Commission Vice-President for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rules13th October
Oct 15th, 2013 - 05:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0Bey bey Mercosur “Brazil advance on it own in trade with EU”
14th October (same year) and no breakfast already taken...
”Trade agreement with EU “depends on Mercosur” warns top EC official
Lesson to be learn for EU, will not be EU/MS agreement without Argentina sorry...
Dany
Oct 15th, 2013 - 08:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0You moron.
Mercosur is far from the savvy negotiator, and Argentina is hardly playing it 'smart'.
What they are saying is that Mercosur is in such a shambles that it is impossible to do business with them.
Sounds like it's going to be “bye bye Brazil” as they get fed up and leave Mercosur and Argentina far behind.
I'd like to know what the Argentineans have to say about it? I'm not talking about politicians but economists, businessmen, workers and consumers.
Oct 15th, 2013 - 10:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0@2 Yep. Nobody needs argieland. Would mercosur “force” argieland to comply with agreements. Will the other members of mercosur underwrite argieland's activities, pay its debts? See, any “agreement” will be with mercosur. Not five individual agreements. Awkward. What a wonderful thing it would be to see argieland chucked out of mercosur because it costs the organisation too much money. Wonder if argieland can foresee being forced by mercosur to pay its debts? After all, trade is only one of the “legs” of an EU/mercosur agreement that is being discussed.
Oct 15th, 2013 - 10:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0@3 Has this been reported in their media? I didn't see it mentioned. I am in regular contact with a number of people there and they are unaware of this.
Oct 15th, 2013 - 01:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@5 I'm pretty sure they are unaware about it, or, in the worst case, they have no idea of what to say about this issue.
Oct 15th, 2013 - 01:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@1 DanyBerger
Oct 15th, 2013 - 06:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You’re not understanding this are you!
He’s telling you they are talking to Brazil, a lot, and Murcosur as a block, need to “piss or get off the pot”.
I don’t think anyone is even thinking of an Argentine agreement, to anything, any time soon.
However the rest of the world is getting on with its future trade arrangements, for which of course no Argentinian agreement is necessary.
You will just have to suffer the effects of decisions, without a seat at the table where the decisions are made, that affect you so greatly.
Brasil sincerely wants to do business with the EU.
Oct 15th, 2013 - 08:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The EU are saying that they wish that the 13 years of work with Mercosur be not wasted, and they are pressuring the Mercosur president to get their act together - ie kick Argentina into line and tell them to stop messing things up for everybody else.
Geoff
Oct 15th, 2013 - 08:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Fine, but I'd like to see what Europe is offering before we point to Mercosur.
Has Europe agreed on removing the taxation on agro products, or should they kick France into line and tell them to stop messing things up for everybody else?
Stevie,
Oct 16th, 2013 - 10:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0this is called negotiation.
It's been underway for 13 years - a bit like the strategic arms limitation treaty.
Its not as if Argentina is being asked to destroy its stock of ICBMs, dismantle its armed forces, or spend 40 years in the wilderness.
Serious negotiation demands compromise on all sides.
France and Ireland will compromise on the beef issue and will get concessions elsewhere.
You don't just stamp your foot and say “Won't Play!”
Too many countries across two continents are involved to allow this behaviour to go on indefinitely.
Again boys without Argentina Agreement will not be MercoSur/EU free trade agreement as was not NAFTA in Bush era.
Oct 16th, 2013 - 10:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0Simple as that.
BTW has US collapsed yet? ZZZZzzzzzzzz
Well Geoff, the same goes for France and I don't see any Euro nation to put pressure on them in order to achieve anything. A picture is painted (on this website, mind) that Argentina is the responsable for stalled negotiations, but that's merely the Euro problem. Our problem (Mercosur) isn't Argentina when talking FTA with EU, it's some Euro nations that refuse to play fair in the game of trading...
Oct 16th, 2013 - 10:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0I give up
Oct 16th, 2013 - 02:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 012stevie
Oct 16th, 2013 - 08:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0That may be the point of view from Argentina, but it looks like Brazil is looking to negotiate on its own, as it feels Argentina is making “absurd” demands.
Brazil is breaking ranks by hinting that Argentina is holding back any progress between EC and Mercosur.
Brazil won't wait for long - if Mercosur is the albatross around their necks, they'll negotiate alone or join a group like PA that are making trade deals already.
Troy
Oct 16th, 2013 - 09:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You say that, I'm not that sure Brazil will abandon Mercosur for the benefit of Europe.
For Mercosur is more than a trade group, it's a tool for integration in the region.
Yes, it was intended to be a trade group in its origin form, but it was formed by a group of right wing Presidents who had a totally different agenda than the current ones.
Brazil, together with Argentina, are top dogs in that group. Merely because of the size of their economies.
I find it difficult to believe that Dilma will abandon that project for an FTA with Europe. I agree that pressure will be have to be put on a couple of countries, should there be any agreement, but Argentina is only one of them.
It's like me telling you Germany will abandon the EU project because France wont loosen up their trade restrictions...
The EU desperately needs a trade agreement with the members of Mercosur. They keep coming back with threats. Keep coming EU, we listen, and have the last word.
Oct 16th, 2013 - 11:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@15 Stevie
Oct 17th, 2013 - 06:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Brazil will not abandon Murcosur, however they will do a trade deal with Europe.
Murcosur long since ceased to function as a trade body, it’s a political grouping once Brazil do the deal with Europe.
@16 Gonzo22
A deal is important for both the EU and Brazil, but be in no doubt Brazil needs it far more than the EU.
If they want their economy to develop its industrial base, rather than exporting commodities that is.
Without Brazil the rest of Murcosur is largely irrelevant to the EU.
Pugol-H
Oct 18th, 2013 - 07:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0You think so?
Well, I'm no nostradamus, but I have my doubts.
About the importance of trade, I see you [lot, again] suffer from belly button complex and seem to think the World depends on you lot.
Europe is in crisis, production is falling and consumption even more.
Brazil has a huge market with loads of potential costumers with more and more money to spend each month.
Europe needs this, and you know it ;)
@18 Stevie
Oct 18th, 2013 - 02:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I don’t think you need to be a Nostradamus in this case, it is happening as we speak. Not long to wait on this one.
As I said “a deal is important for both”, however neither will die without it.
Brazil obviously see the importance of this for them, or they would not be preparing to go it alone. As you pointed out not an easy thing for them to do.
The EU and Brazil view this as a mutual benefit situation, you seem to view it as a zero sum game, where for one to win the other must lose.
Parts of Europe may still be in crisis, but by no means all, we have what is called a “North South divide”, which you don’t have to look very hard to see.
But then it is easier to come out with sweeping and completely misleading statements, isn’t it.
I think it was mark Twain who said, “you cannot depend on your eyes, if you imagination is out of focus”.
@Pugol-H
Oct 18th, 2013 - 08:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 01-Brazil already has a quite important industrial complex bigger and more sophisticated than many of the so called industrialised countries in Europe.
2-Brazil, like any other Mercosur country cannot sign any agreement with any other trade block without the approval of the rest of the Mercosur partner.
Sorry non Mercosur/EU deal will be signed with the approval of Argentina or any other Mercosur member.
3-EU needs more to trade with Mercosur than Mercosur with Europe.
The crisis is still pretty alive in Europe and that is one of the reason why EU is in despair to sign deals.
Canada just this week signed their biggest FTA ever. The deal with EU gives them access to a market of 500m.
Oct 19th, 2013 - 06:11 am - Link - Report abuse 0It was seen as the most opportune time for Canada to do this, as Europe is aggressively seeking trade just now.
Brazil no sought sees the same thing - they'll dump protectionist Mercosur.
Oh! wow what?
Oct 19th, 2013 - 11:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0Just wonder what Canada will sell to EU????
Financial banking service to UK?
Uranium?
Oct 19th, 2013 - 12:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Sure, Geoff
Oct 19th, 2013 - 12:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Uranium is the one thing Europeans are missing at the moment.
People don't talk about anything else on the streets...
@20 DanyBerger
Oct 19th, 2013 - 01:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Wake up Dannyboy, Brazil are going to sign an FTA with the EU, they are negotiating it now.
You put such faith in Murcosur, probably because there at least you can influence/veto events.
I told you, no one is even thinking of an Argentine agreement, to anything, any time soon. They are just going to move on without you
What are you going to do when Brazil goes off with the rest of the world leaving you behind? With no ability to influence anything.
22Dany
Oct 19th, 2013 - 03:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Just wonder what Canada will sell to EU????”
Let me see... Oh, FOOD and ENERGY come to mind.
I don't suppose Argentina wants to do that.
No point trading - not much demand for products like those.
Stevie #24
Oct 19th, 2013 - 07:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Uranium:
1. Aus 24%
2. Can 12%
3. Kazakhstan 10%
4. Rus. 8%
5. US 7%
Aus will supply China/Japan, Kaz will supply Russia, Canada will supply EU.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_uranium_reserves
Bon appetit...
Oct 19th, 2013 - 09:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@ Troy Tempest
Oct 20th, 2013 - 07:45 am - Link - Report abuse 0Ha ha very funny indeed...
Especially pasta to the Italian and wine and cheese to the French.
Harper is already wondering from where he is going to get the money to compensate the cheese producer in Canada when 30/40k tones will go form Europe to Canada.
I and don’t want to mention the invasion of Cars coming from Europe at cheaper price than those produced locally in Canada.
I cannot imagine how difficult would be for Canada’s business to meet all certifications and EU standards to export to EU.
“Harper lo hizo” ha ha
29 Argentine Dany
Oct 20th, 2013 - 08:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“I cannot imagine how difficult would be for Canada’s business to meet all certifications and EU standards to export to EU.”
Harper probably never thought about that before signing the biggest Free-Trade Agreement in Canadian history.
Er, what do you think pasta is made from?
@Troy Tempest
Oct 21st, 2013 - 06:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0Pasta is made from flower and flower is made from wheat and if you are lucky you will sale some wheat what will bring you to the bottom of the productive circle.
Europe cannot afford the luxury of importing finish products because will threat its own economic system which is already jeopardised at the the moment.
So your trade deficit that currently is more that U$s 10 billions will rise to at least the double in the trade exchange.
You will export wheat and you will receive Italian pasta, you will export milk an you will receive cheese, you will export grapes and will receive French an Italian wine...
BTW do you want to buy coulored mirrors with the legend ”Harper and Menen lo Hizo?
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