Mercosur, EU likely to ink free-trade deal in June or July

Mercosur and the European Union (EU) are “very close” to signing a free-trade agreement. João Cravinho, EU Ambassador to Brazil, said he believes the deal should be forged in June or July this year. The final details depend on when the two parties will overcome differences in industry, especially in agricultural industry.

Cravinho’s statement comes shortly after the beginning of the 14th edition of the European Week all across Brazil. The event began Wednesday (May 9)—Europe Day.

Cravinho did not talk about the differences between the proposals made by the EU and Mercosur in great detail. “It’s part of the secret in the business,” he said. He did acknowledge, however, that these disparities delay the process of negotiation, as “they make an impact and have a certain value for the European side, as well as the Brazilian side, and the side of Mercosur in general.”

Cravinho did not talk in detail about the proposals made by EU and Mercosur. “It’s part of the secret in the business,” he said.   - Imagem/TV Brasil

Despite the difficulties, the ambassador went on to argue, both European consumers and those of Mercosur will benefit greatly from the agreement, further noting that the Brazilian producers will be able to bring coffee, meat, and a number of other articles to European retail shelves with lower prices and in an easier manner.

“I also want Brazilian consumers to be able to drink good European wine and purchase European goods for considerably less than their current prices,” Cravinho said.

The European Union and Mercosur have negotiated a free-commerce pact for 20 years. The signing of the deal was postponed as a result of the reluctance of industrial and agricultural sectors on both sides. French agricultural producers form the group that have most fiercely opposed such a deal, as they fear the competition brought about by Brazilian meat in European territory.

Fourteenth European Week

The European Week has been held in Brazil since 2004, and includes photography exhibits, concerts, cuisine-related activities, in addition to the European Film Festival. The event kicks off in Curitiba and is slated to visit 11 Brazilian capitals. The events are promoted by the European Union National Institutes for Culture (Eunic), and the EU delegation in Brazil.

Eunic is a global network made up of 36 Institutions that represent all of the EU’s members countries, and has over two thousand branches and thousands of local partners in over 150 countries all across the world.