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MERCOSUR and the European Union have been in negotiations towards
a bi-regional free trade area since April 2000. Since 1995, MERCOSUR-EU relations have been guided by
the EU-MERCOSUR Framework Cooperation Agreement, signed on 15 December 1995 and fully in force as of
1 July 1999. The agreement currently under negotiation consists of three parts: the political dialogue;
trade and economic issues and cooperation. The scope and objectives of the agreement were agreed upon
at the first negotiating round in April 2000 then at the Madrid Summit of May 2002.
The main forum for the negotiations is the EU-MERCOSUR bi-regional Negotiations
Committee (BNC) along with its Subcommittee on Cooperation (SCC), three subgroups on specific
cooperation areas and three Technical Groups (TGs) related to trade matters. As of October 2006,
sixteen negotiating rounds have been conducted. Since May 2004 negotiations have been carried out
through informal technical meetings. In September 2004 both parties made available their
market access offers.
At a Ministerial meeting in Lisbon in October 2004, MERCOSUR and EU negotiators reiterated the
priority of the negotiation of the Association Agreement. In May 2005 at a meeting in Luxembourg,
Ministers reviewed progress achieved to that point and in September 2005, at a Ministerial meeting,
they met to conduct a further evaluation of the progress toward a conclusion of the agreement.
On 04 May 2010 the European Commission decided to relaunch trade negotiations with MERCOSUR.
Following the re-launch, the first round of negotiations was held from 29 June to 02 July 2010 in
Buenos Aires. The second round took place in Brussels on 11-15 October, and the third round in
Brasilia from 22 November to 07 December 2010. In February 2011 in Paraguay and Uruguay, MERCOSUR
and EU met to advance their ongoing trade negotiations. The following rounds of negotiations took
place on 14-18 March 2011 in Brussels and on 02-06 May 2011 in Asunción, Paraguay.
In In the context of the XXII Bi-Regional
Negotiations Committee (BNC), delegations from MERCOSUR and the European Union held working
meetings from July 4th to July 8th, 2011. The XXIII Bi-Regional Negotiations
Committee (BNC), took place from 7 to 11 November 2011. The eight round was held in the context of the
XXIV meeting of the Bi-Regional Negotiations Committee (BNC), from 12 to 16 March 2012. In the
framework of the XXV Bi-regional Negotiations Committee, delegates from MERCOSUR and the European Union
met in Brasília from 22 to 26 October 2012 for the ninth round of MERCOSUR-EU negotiations.
Delegates form MERCOSUR and the European Union met for a Ministerial Meeting in Santiago, Chile,
on January 26, 2013.
On 24 February 2014, in the context of the Seventh Brazil-EU Summit, the Brazilian president indicates
that a free trade deal between MERCOSUR and the EU is close to completion.
On 11 June 2015, representatives from MERCOSUR and the European Union held a Ministerial Meeting in
Brussels, Belgium.
On 11 May 2016, Chief Negotiators of MERCOSUR and the European Union met in Brussels to exchange
offers on access to their respective markets of goods, services and establishment and government
procurement. After this exchange of offers, the tenth round of negotiations concluded in Brussels
on October 14, 2016.
The XXVIIth round of the Mercosur-EU Bi-Regional Negotiating Committee was susccessfully concluded
on March 24, 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During this meeting there were advances in three parts
of the future Association Agreement: Trade Pact, Political Dialogue and Bi-Regional Cooperation.
The XXVIIIth round of negotiations of the Trade Part of the Association Agreement between the European
Union and MERCOSUR took place from 3 to 7 July, 2017 in Brussels.
On November 10, 2017, the foreign ministers of MERCOSUR met with the vice president of the European
Commission to whom they presented a comprehensive proposal to reach the MERCOSUR-European Union agreement.
Negotiations continue in 2018. The negotiations continued on March 11-15, 2019 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
On June 28, 2019, MERCOSUR and the EU reach an agreement for a comprehensive trade agreement in Brussels,
Belgium.
On the occasion of the EU27-LAC Informal Ministerial Meeting in Berlin on 14 December, MERCOSUR and the
European Union discussed a way forward for the ratification and entry into force of the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
They expressed their conviction that the Agreement should be implemented in such a way so as to provide benefits
to both sides in the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. They reiterated
their commitment to effectively implement the international commitments set out in the Agreement, including the
Paris Agreement.
Documents relating to the MERCOSUR-EU negotiations |
14 December 2020 |
MERCOSUR-EU Statement on Sustainable Development at the EU-27-LAC Informal Ministerial Meeting
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28 June 2019 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Key elements of the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement
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28 June 2019 |
Draft text of the agreement |
28 June 2019 |
Brussels, Belgium.
MERCOSUR and EU reach agreement for a trade agreement
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13-17 May 2019 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Trade negotiations move forward
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11-15 March 2019 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
New round of negotiations
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15 January 2019 |
Report from the 37th round of negotiations
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04 October 2018 |
Report from the 35th round of negotiations
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01 August 2018 |
Report from the 34th round of negotiations
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09 July 2018 |
Brussels, Belgium. New round of negotiations
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23 April 2018 |
Brussels, Belgium.
MERCOSUR and the EU to continue negotiations
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10 November 2017 |
MERCOSUR presents comprehensive proposal to EU
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10-14 October 2016 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Tenth round of negotiations
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11 May 2016 |
Brussels, Belgium. MERCOSUR-European Union:
Joint
Communiqué on exchange of negotiating offers
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11 June 2015 |
Brussels, Belgium. MERCOSUR-European Union
Ministerial Meeting:
Joint Communiqué |
24 February 2014 |
Brazilian President indicates that MERCOSUR and the
European Union are close to reaching a trade agreement
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26 January 2013 |
Santiago, Chile.
Joint Communique of
European Union-MERCOSUR Ministerial Meeting
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16
March 2012 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Statement of the EU and MERCOSUR
after the 8th round of negotiations on the future association agreement between both regions
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02-06 May 2011 |
Asuncion, Paraguay.
Fifth round of negotiations
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14-18 March 2011 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Fourth round of negotiations
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04 February 2011 |
EU Trade Commissioner discusses
MERCOSUR-EU trade negotiations in Paraguay and Uruguay
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08 December 2010 |
Third round of negotiations
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11-15 October 2010 |
Second round of negotiations
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29 June-02 July 2010 |
First round of negotiations
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04 May 2010 |
European Commission proposes
re-launch of trade negotiations with MERCOSUR countries
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15
February 2010 |
EU-Mercosur Association Agreement may be
signed at the EU-Latin America summit in May
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13 May 2006 |
Vienna, Austria.
EU-MERCOSUR Ministerial
Meeting Joint Communiqué
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02 September 2005 |
Brussels, Belgium.
MERCOSUR-EU Ministerial
Meeting Joint Communiqué
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26 May 2005 |
Luxembourg.
MERCOSUR-EU Ministerial
Meeting Joint Communiqué
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20 October 2004 |
Lisbon, Portugal.
MERCOSUR-EU Trade
Ministerial meeting |
17 May 2002 |
Madrid, Spain.
Second meeting of Heads of State and
of Government of the European Union and of MERCOSUR
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15 December 1995 |
Interregional Framework Cooperation
Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Southern
Common Market and its Party States, of the other part
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Sources: European Commission,
European Union, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República del Paraguay, Ministério das
Relações Exteriores -Brasil |
Documents of the Bi-regional Negotiations Committee (BNC) |
04-08 June 2018 |
Montevideo, Uruguay.
Report
from the XXXIII round of negotiations
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21 February-02 March 2018 |
Report
from the XXXII round of negotiations
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29 November-08 December 2017 |
Report
from the XXXI round of negotiations
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06-10 November 2017 |
Brasilia, Brazil. Report
from the XXX round of negotiations
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02-06 October 2017 |
Brasilia, Brazil. Report
from the XXIX round of negotiations
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03 October 2017 |
Brasilia, Brazil.
Meeting of the of the Bi-regional Negotiations Committee (BNC)
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11 September 2017 |
Brussels, Belgium.
Meeting of the of the Bi-regional Negotiations Committee (BNC) (Political and Cooperation Chapters)
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7 July 2017 |
MERCOSUR-EU Joint Communiqué, XXVIII negotiating round
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3-7 July 2017 |
Report of the
XXVIII MERCOSUR-EU negotiation round of the MERCOSUR-EU Association Agreement
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10 April 2017 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Report of the XXVII MERCOSUR-EU
negotiation round of the MERCOSUR-EU Association Agreement
European Union Proposals:
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27 March 2017 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Joint EU-Mercosur Communiqué Following the XXVIIth Round of Negotiations
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23 September 2016 |
European Union Proposals:
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23 June 2016 |
Montevideo, Uruguay.
Bi-regional Negotiations Committee meeting to take place in October in Brussels
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22-26 October 2012 |
Brasilia, Brazil. Nine round of negotiations
in the framework of the XXV meeting of the EU-MERCOSUR Bi-regional Negotiations Committee
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12-16
March 2012 |
Brussels, Belgium. XXIV Meeting of the EU-MERCOSUR
Bi-Regional Negotiations Committee
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07-11
November 2011 |
Montevideo, Uruguay.
Seventh round of trade negotiations in the
context of the XXIII Meeting of the
EU-MERCOSUR Bi-Regional Negotiations Committee
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04-08
July 2011 |
Brussels, Belgium.
XXII Meeting of the EU-MERCOSUR
Bi-Regional Negotiations Committee
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03-07 May 2004 |
Brussels, Belgium.
13th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee
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03-07 May 2004 |
Brussels, Belgium.
13th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
08-12 March 2004 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
12th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
02-05 December 2003 |
Brussels, Belgium.
11th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
23-27 June 2003 |
Asunción, Paraguay.
10th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
17-21 March 2003 |
Brussels, Belgium.
9th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
11-15 November 2002 |
Brasilia, Brazil.
8th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
08-11 April 2002 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
7th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
29-31 October 2001 |
Brussels, Belgium.
6th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
02-06 July 2001 |
Montevideo, Uruguay.
5th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
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5th meeting - summary of EU offer
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19-22 March 2001 |
Brussels, Belgium.
4th meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
07-10 November 2000 |
Brasilia, Brazil.
3rd meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
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3rd meeting:
joint press release |
13-16 June 2000 |
Brussels, Belgium.
2nd meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
06-07 April 2000 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1st meeting of MERCOSUR-EU biregional
negotiations committee |
Source: European Union;
Subsecretaría de Política y Gestión Comercial, Dirección Nacional de
Polítical Comercial Externa de Argentina |
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