Uruguay was the first country in the Mercosur bloc to ratify a trade agreement with the EU

Uruguay was the first country in the South American Mercosur bloc to ratify a trade agreement with the European Union on Thursday. This opens the way to the temporary implementation of the agreement.

On Thursday, the agreement was adopted by the Uruguayan House of Representatives, the lower house of the local parliament, with a large majority. The day before, the Uruguayan Senate unanimously passed them, reported the Uruguayan daily “El Pais”.

The governments of the other Mercosur countries covered by the agreement: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay are also seeking quick ratification of the agreement. In Argentina, the agreement has already been ratified by the Chamber of Deputies, and a vote in the Senate is scheduled for Thursday.

It will likely take much longer for the European Parliament to approve the deal, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has signaled the possibility of its temporary implementation once one of the Mercosur countries ratifies it.

The EU-Mercosur trade agreement signed on January 17 will introduce customs preferences for exporters of products such as beef, poultry, dairy products, sugar and ethanol from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. In turn, the markets of these countries will open to European industry.

At the beginning of January, most EU countries agreed to sign the agreement. Poland, France, Austria, Ireland and Hungary opposed it. (PAP)

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