BRUSSELS, Oct. 24 () –
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has indicated this Monday that he hopes that before the end of the year the European bloc will present its proposal for a clause to reinforce the guarantees to combat deforestation and compliance with the Agreements of Paris, which allows the ratification of the trade agreement with Mercosur.
“I hope that by the end of the year the EU will put on the table the document that raises environmental concerns that have to be shared, it is not that Europeans assign duties to Latin Americans, but to work together”, explained the head of European diplomacy, during his visit to Uruguay, where he met with the president, Luis Lacalle Pou.
In this sense, he stressed that this clause should be something “shared” between Europeans and Latin Americans. “It is not that some ask the others to do more, but to do it together,” he said at a press conference with the Uruguayan Foreign Minister, Francisco Bustillo.
Community services are working on a declaration that specifies environmental commitments, especially for Brazil, such as fighting deforestation and ensuring compliance with the Paris climate agreement.
The EU’s trade agreement with the Mercosur countries — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — was agreed upon by the parties several years ago but its ratification is stalled by reservations from several member states, led by France.
In any case, Borrell has insisted on the depth of the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur, considering that “it would be progress for all”, for which he has called for progress on the issue, taking advantage of the momentum of the Climate Summit that will take place celebrated in Egypt in November.
The High Representative of the EU is in Uruguay and Argentina where he will meet with the presidents of both South American countries and hold meetings with regional organizations. The highlight will be the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which he will co-chair, and will serve to pave the way for the summit scheduled for next year during the Spanish Presidency of the Council .
