Mercosur

• Thursday, March 17th 2011 - 18:10 UTC

  Mercosur 20th birthday celebration reprogrammed because of Brazil’s absence

  

  The program of events to celebrate the 20 years of the Treaty of Asunción, the founding block of Mercosur (26 March 1991) will have to be rescheduled because Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff won’t be travelling to Paraguay next 26 March.

• Thursday, March 17th 2011 - 00:51 UTC

  Hours before Obama arrives, Brazil reaffirms its commitment is with Mercosur

  

  When US president Barack Omaba lands in Brazil next Saturday the emphasis of the visit will be on deepening economic relations and potential business opportunities, but Brazil has made it plain clear that any free trade talks with the United States can only take place in the framework of Mercosur.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 14:38 UTC

  MEP warns on dangers to Scotland of ‘cheap meat’ imports from Mercosur

  

  European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos has been warned of the dangers facing Scotland if the EU opens its markets to large quantities of ‘cheap meat’ imports from Mercosur, reports the Farmers’ Guardían.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 23:49 UTC

  Mercosur claims EU is willing to continue negotiations, but requests more time

  

  Mercosur was prepared to listen to proposals on liberalizing trade, but the European Union requested more time and continue working with the negotiations, according to Mercosur delegates attending the trade talks with EU in Brussels.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 23:38 UTC

  EU chief negotiator admits ‘complications’ but confident of a trade accord with Mercosur

  

  A strongly worded resolution from Members of the European Parliament earlier this month outlining their concerns over agriculture does not represent a setback for EU-Mercosur trade talks, the EU chief negotiator said in Brussels.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 03:20 UTC

  EU/Mercosur plan to exchange ‘sensitive’ items proposals at the Asuncion round

  

  Mercosur and the European Union began Monday in Brussels a new week-long round of negotiations for an association and trade agreement that so far does not include market access for sensitive items such as meats, which triggered strong protests and warnings from European farmers and the European Parliament.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 01:52 UTC

  Under monitoring from EU Parliament, EU/Mercosur resume trade talks

  

  The European Union and Mercosur begin Monday a new round of negotiations in Brussels to reach an association and trade agreement although proposals for market access will not be on the table yet.

• Friday, March 11th 2011 - 01:23 UTC

  European Parliament casts uncertainty over EU/Mercosur trade talks

  

  This week’s strong statement from the European Parliament warning about concessions that ‘can adversely affect European farmers’, precisely a week before Mercosur and EU delegates meet in Brussels to advance trade discussions has caused a certain degree of uncertainty among the South American group delegates.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:40 UTC

  EC tries to downplay impact for farmers of an EU/Mercosur trade agreement

  

  A trade agreement with Mercosur should not have to destroy the European beef industry, said on Tuesday a spokesperson for the European Community who added that such fears are ‘exaggerated’.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:39 UTC

  European Parliament highly critical of EU/Mercosur trade talks

  

  The European Parliament passed a highly critical report on trade negotiations between the EU and the Mercosur bloc for considering that they may imply “farming concessions damaging to European producers.”