‘If there’s no agreement, be patient, it wasn’t for lack of will’, says Lula about negotiations between Mercosur and the European Union

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Blocks have been trying to create a free trade area since 1999, but there is a lack of consensus. Lula and Macron met at the COP; later, French called the proposal old-fashioned and ‘poorly cobbled together’. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated this Sunday (3) that, if the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union is not concluded due to lack of consensus between the blocs, the negotiations will have made it clear that the blame “is not is from Brazil”, but rather from the protectionism of European countries. “If there is no agreement, be patient, it was not due to lack of will. The only thing that has to be clear is that they no longer say that it is on Brazil’s account. And that they no longer say that it is on South America’s account”, said Lula in an interview at the end of the Climate Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Lula and Macron at COP 28 Ricardo Stuckert Mercosur and the European Union have been trying to close a free trade agreement since 1999, but the phase of reviewing the terms continues to run into several obstacles – among them, environmental disputes and resistance from some governments. The agreement involves 31 countries, and provides for exemption or reduction in the collection of import taxes on goods and services produced in the two blocs. On Saturday, also at the COP, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said he was against the free trade agreement – ​​which he called outdated and “poorly cobbled together”. See below: ‘I’m against the Mercosur-European Union agreement’, says Macron Asked about these statements, Lula stated that France’s position was already known – and that, if Europe decides not to close the agreement, it must take responsibility for the decision . “Firstly, the position of our fellow president of France is known historically. France has always been the country that created obstacles in the Mercosur agreement with the European Union. Because France has thousands of small producers and they want to produce their products. It is this,” said Lula. “Now, what they don’t know is that we also have 4.6 million small properties of up to 100 hectares that produce almost 90% of the food we eat and which are quality foods, and which we also want to sell”, he continued . “Take responsibility for the fact that rich countries don’t want to make a deal from the perspective of making any concessions. It’s always about winning more,” he said. “And we are no longer colonized, we are independent. And we want to be treated only with the respect of independent countries that have things to sell, and the things that we have to sell have a price. We want a certain balance,” the president also said Brazilian. Sequence of meetings Lula has been meeting with heads of other countries to try to conclude the agreement since the beginning of the year. On at least two occasions, for example, he spoke about the topic with the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. At COP 28, in addition to Macron, the Brazilian president met with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, with the agreement on the agenda. At the end of next week, back in Brazil, Lula is also expected to debate the agreement at the Mercosur Summit. “I had a great conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. Let’s see how it will happen on Friday. If there is no agreement, at least it will be clear who is to blame for not having an agreement. Now, what does We’re not going to make an agreement to take losses”, he declared in the interview at the end of the COP.

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