Mercosur

• 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.”

• Tuesday, March 8th 2011 - 00:08 UTC

  Irish farmers occupy EU offices in Dublin to protest trade talks with Mercosur

  

  Irish farmers occupied Monday afternoon the offices of the European Commission in Dublin, over fears of a multibillion-Euro threat to the livestock industry from Mercosur.

• Monday, March 7th 2011 - 23:57 UTC

  US ambassadors consider Mercosur as “anti-American” according to Wikileaks

  

  United States considers Mercosur as an “anti American” organization and fears the incorporation of Venezuela to the group made up of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay according to one of the latest Wikileaks to see light in the River Plate press.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 22:03 UTC

  EU farmers warn trade talks with Mercosur could lead to a ‘total collapse’ of the beef sector

  

  European farmers’ organizations claimed on Thursday that current trade talks between the EU and Mercosur could lead to a “total collapse” of the EU beef sector.