Mercosur and the European Union have concluded “negotiations with a view to an agreement” on free trade, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday, December 6, in Montevideo.
“We have concluded the negotiations for the EU-Mercosur agreement. This is the start of a new story. I am now looking forward to discussing it with European countries,” Ursula von der Leyen told X, during a joint press conference with the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to announce the agreement reached after 25 years of discussions.
France disengages
The announcement of an agreement by the European Commission between the countries of the European Union and those of Mercosur on a trade treaty “is only binding on it”, commented on Friday the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade who has resigned from France, Sophie Primas.
“Today is clearly not the end of the story. What is happening in Montevideo is not a signing of the agreement but simply the political conclusion of the negotiation. This only involves the Commission, not the member states,” said the minister in a statement sent to AFP, adding that “the Commission takes its responsibilities as negotiator, but that is only its responsibility.”