European Commission negotiators travelled to Buenos Aires on 7-8 March to meet with their Mercosur counterparts on the EU/Mercosur trade agreement, but more importantly on its potential Additional Protocol to unblock its conclusion (see EUROPE 13111/22).
European officials presented the main principles of the document, which is intended to address European concerns about deforestation and sustainable development in Mercosur countries.
The Protocol would be binding, according to several sources, and would elaborate on the sustainable development elements already present in the agreement.
The Commission has already informed the Member States and the European Parliament about the details of its intentions, but the Protocol in question has yet to be negotiated with the Mercosur partners, and is therefore subject to change.
An agreement on the Protocol is being sought on all sides before the summit between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), scheduled for 16 and 17 July in Brussels (see EUROPE 13107/17).
Negotiators therefore plan to work towards this goal “during the first part of the year”, according to the Commission. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)