Brazil’s Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Márcio Elias, announced on Sunday (23) that the federal government intends to finalize the free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union this year. During an interview in Lisbon, Elias stated that Brazil intends to close the deal still in this half of the year. “We expect to see this agreement signed this year as quickly as possible. If possible, we would close it in this half of the year, as it is our desire,” he said. According to the Secretary, the Brazilian government is still in contact with European authorities to find answers to the demands the country and the other bloc members must meet. Elias also stated that most obstacles are related to environmental demands and labor legislation, whose specifications are already met by Brazil but still need the green light of other Mercosur countries to be included in the commercial agreement clauses.
Sources: Comex do Brasil/Datamar News