EU-Mercosur: Commission determined to proceed with trade deal negotiations

Brussels – The negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur will continue. The European Commission is determined to proceed, sealing a deal as soon as possible. The EU executive’s spokesman for trade issues, Olof Gill, confirmed this. “The Commission believes that this agreement is of utmost importance from an economic and geo-strategic point of view,” he says at the traditional press briefing. “We want the agreement to respect the EU’s sustainability goals and protect our agriculture,” he adds.

Mercosur is the free trade area that includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela (with the latter currently suspended due to the domestic political situation).