Brussels, 11/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - Late afternoon on Wednesday 11 May, the European Commission confirmed that the EU and the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, as Venezuela is sitting the free-trade negotiations out) had that day exchanged offers on market access covering goods, services and public procurement, as announced on 8 April (see EUROPE 11528).
This is the first exchange of offers since 2004 in the framework of these free-trade negotiations which were launched in 2009, put on ice in 2004, then resumed in 2010. The two sides will now examine the offers in greater detail, then meet again at negotiator-in-chief level before the summer break, to take stock of the negotiations and prepare a timetable of meetings for the second half of 2016, the Commission explained.
“Both sides remain fully committed to this negotiation, in view of the important economic and political gains expected for both sides from a comprehensive, ambitious and balanced EU/Mercosur Association Agreement”, it added. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)