A new criticism of Emmanuel Macron further reduces the chance of an agreement between Mercosur and the European Union

With the pro tempore presidency of Mercosur in the first half of 2023, the government of Alberto Fernández is trying to unblock the free trade agreement between the regional bloc and the European Union, which was sealed in mid-2019, but a new criticism from the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, further removes the chance of it coming to fruition.

"An

if they do not respect the Paris agreements [on climate] like we do and

that we impose on our producers,"

When participating in a national agricultural fair, the French president argued: "When

, something that is not done enough at the European level."

Macron's recent statements add tension to the objective of the Argentine government to rediscuss some points of the agreement to advance in a balanced agreement that implies benefits for both blocs.

"

with the European Union, adapted to a changing world and value chains. We understand that

," Foreign Minister

emphasized , during his stay in the city of Brussels, where at the end of January he met with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell.

Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero and the High Representative of the European Union for External Affairs, Josep Borrell.

They met last week in Brussels

During his recent visit to Belgium, Cafiero clarified that the "view" of the four Mercosur countries is not "univocal but coordinated" and that they have "political will" to advance in the negotiation, especially since the arrival of Luiz Ignácio Lula da Silva the Brazilian government.

Specifically, the regional bloc asks to review aspects related to environmental and political reasons, while the main difficulty they encounter is the Green Pact, which seeks to reduce carbon dioxide emissions but would leave almost all production items in the countries of Mercosur unable to access the European market.

The trade agreement, which had been announced with great fanfare in June 2019 by the then government of Mauricio Macri, was presented at that time as a fundamental fact to achieve a leap in Euro-Latin American political relations.

"This is a

and for Argentina's international insertion because growth and inclusive development cannot be achieved alone but with more and better international trade based on rules," celebrated the then Minister of Foreign Affairs.

.

"This is a true milestone for our foreign policy," said then-foreign minister Jorge Faurie after it was announced that Mercosur had signed an agreement with the European Union.

Photo: AP

Despite the expectations generated after the historic progress of the negotiations,

in a dead zone due to the

One of his excuses was the environmental policy of the then president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, but the reality is that his

, for example in agriculture,

The truth is that the international trade scenario has been reconfigured in recent years and allows the Mercosur countries to position themselves as "reliable suppliers of food, energy and strategic minerals", as Cafiero stated during his visit to Brussels.

With the European bloc pushed by the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the strong energy impact, the Summit of Heads of State of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), set for July 17 and 18 in Brussels is considered a key date to determine the fate of the negotiation.

"The EU-Celac Summit will further strengthen the bi-regional association of the EU and the CELAC countries around shared priorities such as the digital and green transitions, the fight against climate change and the loss of biodiversity, health, security food, migration, security and governance or the fight against transnational crime," said a statement from the European Council.

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