EU-Mercosur Association Agreement: conclusion of negotiations on the Political Dialogue and Cooperation pillar

02.07.2020

On 18 June, the European Union and Mercosur concluded negotiations on the Political Dialogue and Cooperation part as well as on the Preamble, and on the General, Institutional and Final provisions of the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement.

The agreement on the trade part was already reached in June last year. The negotiations, which started in 2000, have therefore now effectively come to a close.

These successful negotiations will allow for increased cooperation between the EU and Mercosur in a wide range of areas of mutual interest such as protection of human rights, sustainable development and climate change, cybercrime, migration, tax issues, money laundering, transnational organised crime and digital economy.

The Institutional provisions set up a robust framework for the functioning of the entire agreement, ensuring dialogue at the level of heads of state, ministers, or senior officials level, as well as between parliaments and with civil society.

The EU-Mercosur Association Agreement will next undergo a number of obligatory administrative and legal steps for its entry into force (a Commission proposal will be submitted soon for a Council Decision on signing and provisional application of the Agreement).