The EU and Mercosur negotiators (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) are continuing to work at technical level to reduce disagreements with the aim of reaching agreement on the trade aspect of an association agreement, but no date has been set for further technical talks, a close source at the European Commission explained on Thursday 15 March.
"Progress was achieved during that period, (Ed: from 20 February to 2 March in Asunción – see EUROPE 11973, Ed.) but there is still work to be done. Since then, the chief negotiators have remained in contact to explore how to move forward on the remaining issues and advance into the very last stretch of the talks", the source said.
"Mercosur counterparts have recently repeatedly expressed their readiness to continue negotiations despite the upcoming elections in Paraguay or Brazil, and they have reaffirmed their commitment to the prompt conclusion of the negotiations", the source added.
The window of opportunity is closing for agreement in principle before the beginning (in March) of the general election campaign in Brazil (for elections in October) and the general elections in Paraguay at the end of April.
On Thursday, the European Commission published a progress report on the last round of talks that concluded on 2 March (the report can be found at: https://goo.gl/pJwfKU ).
Full commitment at political level. The EU and Mercosur are close to signing an agreement, but a few important issues, mostly relating to market access, remain to be settled, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström told the European Parliament on Wednesday 14 March.
Access to the Mercosur market for EU dairy products and for maritime services remain the most problematical issues, Malmström explained, adding that the question of protection of geographical indications required extra talks, whereas the questions of sustainable development and non-tariff barriers were virtually complete.
The EU and Mercosur are definitely close to agreement, Brazil's President Michel Temer said on Sunday 11 March, noting that a few points remained to be settled, but not stating which ones. He said a political meeting would be held "soon".
"We agree with (Argentina's president) Mauricio Macri that we’ll be able to reach a definitive end to the talks after 19 year", Temer said.
Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga, whose country holds the six-monthly presidency of Mercosur, said on 9 March that he hoped agreement would be reached in three or four weeks.
Loizaga will discuss the question with his Mercosur counterparts in Asunción on 16 March during the launch of free-trade talks between Mercosur and Canada. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)