10/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of the second session of negociations between the EU and Mercosur to conclude an association agreement, the European Trades Unoin Congress (ETUC) and the Mercosur trades union organisation (Coordination of Trade Union Federations and Consejo de Trabajadores), submitted a joint statement on the social dimension of the future agreement to the negotiators. More particularly, the unions are asking for: - a chapter on employee rights to be introduced to the agreement; - the creation of a mixed consultative committee bringing together the European Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) and Mercosur's economic and social forum. They also announced the setting up of the Union Forum, the counterpart of the Forum of Employers of the two regions.