MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Germany urges Brazil with an EU/Mercosur trade agreement
President Rousseff and minister Steinmeier after their meeting in Brasilia 
The German minister and his Brazil counterpart Mauro Vieira at Itamaraty Germany wants to speed negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, said Foreign minister Walter Steinmeier in Brasilia. The agreement has been pending since 1999 when discussions started but so far have been unable to reach a deal or commit a date because of internal problems from both sides.
“In Germany the administration of Chancellor Merkel is very much interested in speeding the EU/Mercosur trade agreement and we hope in can be achieved in the near future. We are doing our upmost to that effect” said Minister Steinmeier after holding a meeting with President Dilma Rousseff and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira, in Brasilia.
Steinmeier stopped in Brazil as part of a South American tour that also includes Peru and Colombia, but has left out Argentina and Venezuela.
The minister also admitted having addressed with President Rousseff the current situation of other Mercosur members, particularly the reluctant Argentina and Venezuela. Uruguay and Paraguay are aligned behind Brazil and are anxious to reach an overall agreement with the EU.
Currently Mercosur is waiting for the EU to present its proposals for tariff reductions, an issue that has been delayed because of the renewal of the European commission new authorities.
The EU/Mercosur negotiations were re-launched a couple of years ago, and despite some grumblings from Argentina Mercosur finally managed a joint proposal referred to goods, services, investments and government purchases. However the EU this time has had more difficulties than Mercosur in reaching a consensus because several European countries headed by France and Ireland fear the competition from South American farm produce, and are very much concerned with unemployment rates.
This has considerably delayed the process inside the EU to reach a consensus on the proposals' list.
“We're waiting for a reply from Brussels to begin the last leg of negotiations”, said Brazilian minister Vieira. “This, he added ”was the message from President Rousseff to minister Steinmeier, we're waiting for an EC reply”.
Top Comments
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Read all commentsArgentina cannot even hold up the existing Mercosur agreement with Brazil and Uruguay, how does the EU / Germany expect to miraculously overcome the deadbeats of the south?
Feb 16th, 2015 - 10:02 am 0Mercosur is nothing more than a political façade since Venezuela bullied their way in with “cheap” oil. Now look what we in Uruguay are paying due to the stupidity of Sendic, (as head of ANCAP) our soon to be V.P. and if Vasquez croaks he will become the Pres.!!!!
Argentina still owes Uruguay for all the electricity to date that was sent via the Plate cable to help them out when their useless system failed again.
When will the deadheads that rule us realise that TDC is taking the piss and 'helping our brothers' only works in their favour and screw you?
”Steinmeier stopped in Brazil as part of a South American tour that also includes Peru and Colombia, but has left out Argentina and Venezuela.”
Feb 16th, 2015 - 11:20 am 0Argenchina and Venezcuba are irrelavent then?
i am totally d'accord with an agreement between mercosur and the eu.
Feb 16th, 2015 - 11:21 am 0and nobody gives a shite about what kirchner says, cause she is leaving the govt in +/- 6 months
without argentina that agreement would have no sense, since argentina is the main player.
now, it would be a lot better to have that agreement once england has left the eu.
you know, for some reasons, they are not the most trustable pirates.
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