23/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - Way worked out for two rounds of free trade negotiating talks at the end of 2016. EU negotiators and the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Venezuela not included in these negotiations) met up on 22-23 June in Montevideo to examine free-trade talks between the two blocs and to prepare the work on holding two rounds of discussions in the second half of the year (in September in Uruguay and then in Brussels next November). In this connection, the two parties provided clarification of their respective offers on market access (covering merchandise, services and public procurement) exchanged on 11 May last (see EUROPE 11549). They also examined progress with the different negotiating texts that were put to the side during the freezing of the negotiations in 2004 and agreed which areas would require an update. The negotiators also agreed to a work timetable in order to prepare for the next meeting of the bi-regional negotiations committee that will take place in Brussels next October. (EH)