Strasbourg, 10/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Despite progress made during the 5th round of talks in Asunción from 2 to 6 May in relation to an association agreement - including a trade chapter - between the EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Venezuela being in the process of accession), European and South American negotiators deferred the exchange of their respective offers on market access. The parties will take stock of progress accomplished by each of the 11 working groups responsible for the trade chapter during the 6th round of talks in Brussels from 4 to 8 July. The services under Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloº confirmed this weekend that it would be “premature” to hold any exchange of offers during June, as recently contemplated by Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. “We have not set any date. We want to ensure that the offers are of good quality and we should not allow timing to prevail over substance. When we are ready, we will jointly agree on a date for a simultaneous exchange”, explained a Commission spokesman on 7 May. The parties will therefore continue their internal work to finalise their offers on market access, specifying that an oral exchange of offers will precede the written exchange. The exchange of offers is not likely to take place before the 7th round of talks from 7 to 11 November in Montevideo. (E.H./transl.jl)