A quarter of a century after the negotiations began, the EU and the Mercosur states of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay have reached an agreement on a free-trade zone. The deal aims to boost trade by lowering customs duties and facilitating investments. France, Italy and Poland expressed reservations until the very end. Commentators are also at odds over the merits of the project.
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Stability and security
El País takes a positive view of the agreement:
“The EU’s political message is clear. It wants to forge alliances in a world in which two of its major trading partners, the US and China, are becoming increasingly unreliable. … For Brussels, the agreement is a means to counter China’s growing influence in the Americas and gain better access to raw materials that are critical for its energy transition. … It paves the way for the EU to strengthen its presence in an area that tends to be undervalued despite Spain’s efforts. Those who oppose the agreement should take into account the fact that it has been concluded at a time when geopolitical tensions are running high and aims to offer stability and security to the EU and its citizens.”
A step towards Frexit?
This could further divide Europe, warns Le Quotidien:
“Quite apart from the agricultural issue, this is also another serious blow for the EU’s image. … The Mercosur agreement could leave its mark if some Europeans are not heeded. France is by far the continent’s biggest agricultural power and will not allow this sector to be trampled on by others – even if they are its closest ‘allies’. Once again, doubts will gradually spread among our neighbours. Frexit will continue to quietly creep into people’s minds. … We must be careful not to create a disaster of historic proportions.”
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