Brussels – The European Commission (EC) has put forward for approval the partnership agreement between the EU and Mercosur, as well as the Modernized global agreement between the EU and Mexico. These agreements are backed by internal EU legislation designed to safeguard the interests of member states, farmers, and consumers. In an interview with TASR’s Brussels correspondent, EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič emphasized the importance of these agreements for Slovakia.
Maroš Šefčovič remarked that the agreements will generate export opportunities worth billions for EU companies, support hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe, secure essential critical raw materials for the Union, and establish the largest free trade zone encompassing over 700 million consumers.
The agreement with Mercosur is the largest the EU has ever signed, being four times larger than the one with Japan.
He noted, “The agreement with Mercosur is the largest that the EU has signed in its history. It is four times larger than the agreement with Japan.” He further explained that the European Commission submitted the approval proposal alongside the trade agreement with Mexico due to the sensitivity of farmers in both contexts. The EU perceives Mercosur as a food-exporting bloc, whereas Mexico is one of the largest food importers.
The negotiations with the Mercosur countries marked the longest discussions the EU has engaged in. Šefčovič pointed out that the finalized negotiations will open the South American market to EU food producers, allowing them to benefit from reduced export tariffs.
“For Slovakia, particularly in the automotive industry and engineering, we will see tariffs drop from over 30 percent to zero over the next 15 to 18 years. Tariffs will decrease annually, which is positive news for our automotive sector in light of current global developments,” said the Commissioner.
Šefčovič stressed that the EC has established adequate legislative safeguards to protect European interests while actively engaging with member states that had significant concerns.
“We will legally formalize how these guarantees will be implemented. We will conduct biannual monitoring of imports, assessing whether any increase exceeds ten percent or if there is a ten percent price drop in Europe. Should this occur, we will be able to implement measures to restrict the imports of sensitive products,” he clarified.
The agreements adhere to stringent European health and environmental standards, addressing any European concerns. All imported goods must comply with these standards, which involve inspections by European veterinarians at the source, checks prior to shipment to Europe, and increased inspections at ports.
“I hope this will alleviate the concerns of those questioning how the agreement will impact agriculture. It is advantageous for all sectors of the economy and will enable us to diversify our sources of critical raw materials, reducing our reliance on China,” he stated.
Šefčovič confirmed that both the EU and Brazil, which currently leads the Mercosur group, aim to ratify the agreement by year’s end, with the assistance of the Danish presidency in the EU Council. The Commissioner plans to meet with the chair of the European Parliament’s Trade Committee to garner support from EU lawmakers and address skepticism regarding the agreement. (September 3)
“I hope this will convince those who have questions or concerns about how the agreement will affect agriculture. It is beneficial for all other areas of the economy and will allow us to diversify in the area of critical raw materials, where we see dependence mainly on China.” Maroš Šefčovič
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