Brazil’s head of diplomacy, Mauro Vieira, stated that the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, intends to sign the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur on December 20.
Mauro Vieira assured journalists, this Wednesday, 5th, that the signing of the agreement was discussed during the meeting held in Belém between Von der Leyen and the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“The President of the Commission reaffirmed her certainty, her conviction and her firm hope that the agreement will be signed at the end of the year (…), when the Mercosur summit will take place”, declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On December 20, the city of Rio de Janeiro will host the 42nd summit of the heads of state of Mercosur, a bloc that includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia.
Mauro Vieira also described as excellent the meeting with Von der Leyen, who is in Belém (northeast) to participate in the meeting of heads of State and Government that precedes the UN climate summit (COP30), which begins on Monday.
The minister said he hoped that the Venezuelan crisis would be addressed during the meeting between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, on November 9 and 10, in the Colombian city of Santa Marta.
Vieira downplayed the impact of the expected absences of several European leaders at this meeting, stating that the number of confirmed participants is significant and is in line with previous meetings.
The trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur, reached after a negotiation that lasted 25 years, was signed in December 2024, but still needs final validation.
The agreement proposes that, in general, customs barriers between the two blocs be progressively eliminated over a 10-year transition period.
Even so, some products considered more sensitive will have the transition period extended to 15 years.
The agreement will cover 90% of the products sold, and for the remainder, some measures will also be introduced, such as a maximum tariff to be applied.
The agreement also determines that there cannot be import or export monopolies.
This will be the largest trade and investment agreement in the world, which will serve a market equivalent to 25% of the global economy, with 780 million people, almost 10% of the world’s population.
After tense diplomatic relations during the Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, when Lula da Silva returned to office in 2023, EU-Brazil ties gained new dynamism, with the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Mercosur agreement in December 2024 giving a new boost.