Fire-side chat with Jordi Cañas: The state of the negotiations of the EU-Mercosur Agreement

In an informal discussion, Oscar Guinea talks to Jordi Cañas, a Member of the European Parliament, an International Trade Committee member, and a Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. Mr Canas is also the main rapporteur of the report on the Association Agreement between the EU and Mercosur. This discussion explains what happened, and what did not happen, during June 2019 – September 2021 for this Agreement, which has been negotiated but remains unratified.

“I believe that if we want to strengthen ties based on cooperation and collaboration, they must also be based on trust and mutual respect. And the association agreements are a starting point for relations that have to be consolidated, they are an instrument that we have, which obviously can be improved, but what we cannot say is that it is perfect because it does not have everything we want.”

“[…] if Europe is not able to close this agreement quickly, it will lose a very important opportunity, not only for the companies, but also for employment, for quality employment. Europe exports products with high added value, which have highly qualified workers behind them, and losing the opportunity to be the first to sign a trade agreement in such a protectionist block, such as the Mercosur block, is a golden opportunity, which someone may have to explain someday.”

Spanish and English transcripts of this recording are available.