Mercosur

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2011 - 22:17 UTC

  Brazilian president conditions pending visit to Paraguay

  

  President Dilma Rousseff will not be visiting Paraguay until the Brazilian Congress approves the Itaipú reversal notes which establish a greater compensation for surplus power purchased from Paraguay by Latin America’s energy hungry largest economy.

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2011 - 22:10 UTC

  “We must oppose the Mercosur/EU deal with every ounce of energy we have”

  

  Ireland, supported by France keeps putting pressure to derail the ongoing trade talks between the European Union commission and Mercosur, reports the Dublin press.

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2011 - 08:48 UTC

  “Not even dressed as Father Christmas” will Chavez make it to Mercosur

  

  “Not even dressed as Father Christmas can president Hugo Chavez make Venezuela become a member of Mercosur”, according to a 2009 Wikileaks cable quoting Paraguay’s Foreign Affairs minister Hector Lacognata during an informal talk with US ambassador in Asuncion Liliana Ayalde.

• Monday, March 21st 2011 - 22:23 UTC

  Ireland: EU agriculture commissioner supports strong position against Mercosur

  

  Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has pressed Ireland’s anxieties about ongoing trade talks with Mercosur with agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos who was most receptive to Ireland’s position, reports the Dublin media.

• Monday, March 21st 2011 - 22:17 UTC

  US farmers concerned with Mercosur expanding farm exports to Colombia

  

  United States farmers have called on the US government to approve the free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama because Mercosur countries are taking a bigger share of US agriculture exports to those countries.

• Friday, March 18th 2011 - 16:46 UTC

  EU/Mercosur negotiations stumble, but both sides determined to continue

  

  The fourth round of European Union/Mercosur negotiations for a trade agreement concluded in Brussels Friday with no major advances which could be a setback for the original plan to have a deal sealed by the end of the year.

• Thursday, March 17th 2011 - 18:14 UTC

  Argentine Congress confirms Mercosur/Israel free trade agreement

  

  The Argentine congress ratified this week the free trade agreement between Mercosur and Israel. The accord subscribed in 2007 and already passed by the Senate, was approved in the Lower House by 144 votes, 8 nays and 10 abstentions.

• 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.