Global Courant
BRUSSELS
As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen prepares to visit the region, the European Union looks forward to strengthening its ties with South American countries.
Von der Leyen will visit Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico during the week.
The meeting is expected to discuss the current status of the South American trade bloc Mercosur, as well as the update of the free trade agreement.
EU-Mercosur negotiations on a free trade agreement started in 2000 and went through certain stages.
The parties agreed on a comprehensive agreement covering, among others, tariffs, rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and intellectual property.
The EU and Mercosur were planning to lower the high tariffs on agricultural products, and Mercosur countries could easily sell products such as meat, chicken, sugar to the EU.
However, the agreement was never signed, ratified, and never entered into force.
Ecologists opposed the agreement, arguing that it is not compatible with the European Green Deal.
The EU Commission succeeded in updating the negotiations with Mexico in 2020 after four years of work, but the updated version has not yet entered into force.
The EU looks to closer cooperation with Chile to reduce its dependence on China.
* Written by Nur Asena Ertürk in Ankara
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