Major European corporations called on political leaders for an “ambitious and balanced” European Union-Mercosur trade agreement and asked that ‘agriculture issues’ impacts do not derail the project.
On request from Argentina advance on EU/Mercosur trade talks will be delayed until after next October’s presidential election, revealed the EU Trade Commissar Karel de Gucht.
Poland which currently holds the rotating chair of the European Union presidency warned that any trade agreements with third parties must strictly abide by the EU sanitary and food security standards.
European Union and Mercosur delegates are scheduled to meet next week in Brussels for another round of negotiations with the purpose of reaching a trade agreement.
The world's main trading nations remain divided over a global trade deal despite a compromise plan put forward by the European Union to rescue the stalled Doha trade round, the EU trade chief said.
The European Union/Mercosur trade talks taking place in Paraguay are attempting to advance with a ‘verbal exchange of proposals’ while negotiators continue ahead with technical aspects of a future agreement, according to Argentine sources.
European Union beef prices would be cut by more than 8% and meat production across the EU would fall in value by more than €3bn if a trade deal were agreed with Mercosur, according to preliminary assessments from an agriculture advisory body to the European Commission.
European Union’s top trade negotiator, Karel de Gucht, accused Argentina of being “the great obstacle” in an association agreement between the EU and Mercosur, and threatened to take the case before the WTO.
The European Union and Mercosur currently holding a round of association and trade talks will be exchanging proposals for market access of their list of products in the coming two months, according to the EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.
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.