NEGOTIATIONS ON THE CONCLUSION OF AN ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND MERCOSUR (1999–2023)

Ivan Fechko,

Master ‘s student,

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2524-048X.2024.28.3

 

Abstract. The article analyzes the negotiations on the conclusion of the association agreement between the EU and Mercosur. The stages of negotiations are defined, starting with the prerequisites for the start of this process (signing in 1995 of the Interregional Framework Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Mercosur), the official start of negotiations in 1999, the results of the main bilateral meetings of representatives of both sides, the resumption of the negotiation process in 2010, 2019, and 2023. The influence of the summits of the heads of state of the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, domestic and foreign political circumstances on this process is determined.

In the course of the study, it was concluded that negotiations on the conclusion of an association agreement between the EU and Mercosur have become a key issue in the development of relations between the two regional integration associations and an important part of the EU’s foreign policy strategy in Latin America. The prospects for further development of the negotiation process were also analyzed in view of the recent failures to complete the signing of the agreement in 2023 and the current situation in both blocs at the beginning of 2024.

Positive factors that influenced the attainment of certain milestones in the negotiation process were identified, such as the leadership role of the Iberian states – Spain and Portugal, which advocated negotiations due to their special linguistic, cultural, historical, and business ties with Latin America. Important stimuli included the summits of the countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the EU. Despite the lengthy negotiation process, the agreement was not signed due to resistance from the agrarian lobby in the countries of the European Union, the absence of a common EU strategy for Latin America, and domestic political issues in the Mercosur countries.

Key words: European Union, Mercosur, European integration, integration processes in Latin America, negotiation process.

 

Submitted 22.01.2024

Download

References:

  1. Vakarchuk, K. (2022). Spivrobitnytstvo krayin YES z MERCOSUR ta CELAK: rehionalʹnyy ta hlobalʹnyy vymir. Mizhnarodni ta politychni doslidzhennya, 35, 145–156. Retrieved from: http://dspace.onu.edu.ua:8080/bitstream/123456789/34454/1/145-156.pdf [In Ukrainian].
  2. Oliynyk, U. (2015). Spivrobitnytstvo YES ta Merkosur yak pryklad dlya podalʹshoyi intehratsiyi Ukrayiny. Ukrayinsʹka natsionalʹna ideya: realiyi ta perspektyvy rozvytku, 27, 129–135. Retrieved from: https://irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/cgi-bin/irbis_nbuv/cgiirbis_64.exe?C21COM=2&I21DBN=UJRN&P21DBN=UJRN&IMAGE_FILE_DOWNLOAD=1&Image_file_name=PDF/Unir_2015_27_22.pdf [In Ukrainian].
  3. Arana, A. (2017). The European Union’s Policy Towards Mercosur: Responsive Not Strategic. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Retrieved from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wn0s5p [In English].
  4. Bizzozero, L. (2004). Las relaciones MERCOSUR-Unión Europea Una nueva modalidad de participación de las regiones en la mundialización. América Latina y el (des)orden global neoliberal Hegemonía, contrahegemonía, perspectivas. Retrieved from: https://biblioteca-repositorio.clacso.edu.ar/bitstream/CLACSO/12061/1/gomez.pdf [In Spanish].
  5. Blenkinsop, P., & Kihara L. (2019). EU, Mercosur strike trade pact, defying protectionist wave. Retrieved from: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-trade-mercosur/eu-mercosur-strike-trade-pact-defying-protectionist-wave-idUSKCN1TT2KD/ [In English].
  6. Carugati M. (2015). Argentina, un país proteccionista. El economista. Retrieved from: https://eleconomista.com.ar/economia/argentina-pais-proteccionista-n4246#:~:text=Argentina%20es%20uno%20de%20los,cualquier%20pa%C3%ADs%20de%20Am%C3%A9rica%20Latina [In Spanish].
  7. Declaration of Guadalajara (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.sice.oas.org/tpd/cacm_eu/Negotiations/Guadalajara2004_e.pdf [In English].
  8. El presidente de Paraguay se suma al pesimismo por el acuerdo del Mercosur-UE (2023). Ámbito. Retrieved from: https://www.ambito.com/uruguay/el-presidente-paraguay-se-suma-al-pesimismo-el-acuerdo-del-mercosur-ue-n5891247 [In Spanish].
  9. EU-Mercosur agreement. (n.d.). European Commission. Retrieved from: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/mercosur/eu-mercosur-agreement/agreement-explained_en [In English].
  10. Guinea, O., & Sharma, V. (2021). Guinea O. EU and Mercosur in the Twenty-First Century: Taking Stock of the Economic and Cultural Ties. Ecipe Policy Brief, 15, 1–21. Retrieved from: https://ecipe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ECI_21_PolicyBrief_15_2021_LY01.pdf [In English].
  11. 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. (2006). Retrieved from: http://www.sice.oas.org/tpd/mer_eu/negotiations/Framework1995_e.pdf [In English].
  12. Messad, P. (2024). EU-Mercosur trade agreement negotiations halted hours before signing, says Macron. EURACTIV. Retrieved from: https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/eu-mercosur-trade-agreement-negotiations-halted-hours-before-signing-says-macron [In English].
  13. Molano-Cruz, G. (2015) La Unión Europea en América Latina y el Caribe. Lógicas y políticas de un actor global. Bogotá: Universidad Sergio Arboleda. Retrieved from: https://biblio.flacsoandes.edu.ec/libros/digital/55945.pdf [In Spanish].
  14. Nolte, D. (2021). Mercosur and the EU: The False Mirror. Lua Nova: Revista de Cultura e Política, 112, 87–122. Retrieved from: https://www.scielo.br/j/ln/a/9Msq5gFqccKCBxWL9zDFDps/?format=pdf&lang=en [In English].
  15. Quevedo-Flores, J. (2019). Las relaciones Unión Europea-América Latina y El Caribe 1999–2019.Veinte años de asociación estratégica birregional eurolatinoamericana. Latin American Journal of International Affairs, 9(3), 48–74. Retrieved from: https://www.lajia.net/lajia/article/view/110/74 [In Spanish].
  16. Saraiva, M. (2017). The Brazil-European Union strategic partnership, from Lula to Dilma Rousseff: a shift of focus. Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional, 60(1), 1–17. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7329201600117 [In English].
  17. Treaty Establishing a Common Market between the Argentine Republic, the Federal Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Paraguay and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay. (1991). Retrieved from: http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/mrcsr/treatyasun_e.asp. [In English].
  18. VI European Union – Latin America And Caribbean Summit Madrid, 18 May 2010 Madrid Declaration (2010). Retrieved from: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/er/114535.pdf. [In English].
  19. World Bank Open Data. (2024). World Bank Group. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org. [In English].