Mr Valdis Dombrovskis
Executive Vice-President
European Commission
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
BELGIUM
11th November 2020
Dear Executive Vice-President and Trade Commissioner Dombrovskis,
We wish to express our support for the signature and ratification of the EU-Mercosur
Agreement, and convey our gratitude for the efforts devoted by you and your team so
far. We hope we will soon be able to finish successfully a process that started more than
20 years ago.
Politically, the EU and Mercosur share values and are important allies in WTO in a period
of increased challenges. The Agreement will foster political and economic cooperation
between the EU and Mercosur acting as a platform to share our views and concerns on
the global issues, such as the WTO reform or sustainability, and work together to address
them.
From an economic standpoint, the EU will benefit from a substantial first-mover
advantage, as it will become the first global partner to sign a free trade agreement with
Mercosur. This will allow our companies privileged access to a bloc/region whose
members together constitute the sixth largest economy in the world, with more than 260
million consumers. Moreover, the agreement is a strategic choice by our partners of
Mercosur to open up their markets to the global economy, leaving behind inward-looking
approaches.
The first wave of COVID-19 exposed our vulnerabilities with regard to the EU external
supply of goods and services. In this respect, the EU-Mercosur Agreement, when ratified,
will significantly contribute to trade diversification and, as a result, to foster EU supply
chains’ resilience.
The EU-Mercosur Agreement features a modern, progressive trade and sustainable
development chapter; making the accord the most ambitious the EU has ever negotiated
in this field. Explicit commitments in a number of areas, including the implementation of
the Paris Agreement, as well as deforestation, are determined and stringent.
Furthermore, National Advisory Groups will be given wider powers to participate in the
implementation of the Agreement.
We believe the Agreement is also a unique chance to produce a long-term, positive
impact within the South American Region in terms of central policies such as sustainable
development, climate change and the global economic governance. We are therefore
certainly prepared to consider any instrument that could contribute - consistently with our
strategy on the new generation of EU free trade agreements - to foster sustainable
development, a positive social impact and the protection of the environment, in line with
the 17 Sustainable Development Goals agreed at the UN level in 2015.
To sum up, the strategic importance of the Agreement, both politically and economically
requires keeping the momentum and a timely completion of this process.
Not signing and ratifying the EU-Mercosur Agreement will not only affect the EU’s
credibility as a negotiating and geopolitical partner, but will also strengthen other
competitors’ position in the region, posing a greater risk to environmental protection,
while further weakening the EU’s geostrategic weight and economic opportunities in
times of a much-needed recovery.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Karel HAVLÍČEK Mr Jeppe KOFOD
Minister for Industry and Trade Minister for Foreign Affairs
Ms Mª Reyes MAROTO ILLERA
Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism of the
Kingdom of Spain
Mr Ville SKINNARI
Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade
Mr Edgars RINKĒVIČS Mr Augusto SANTOS SILVA
Minister of State and Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ms Anna HALLBERG
Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs
