economy
January 18, 2026
Posle celih 25 godina pregovora
Sporazum između Evropske unije i latinoameričkog bloka Merkosur potpisan je danas u glavnom gradu Paragvaja Asunsionu, posle 25 godina pregovora, saopštila je predsednica Evropske komisije Ursula fon der Lajen.
TL;DR
- The EU and Mercosur have signed a trade agreement after 25 years of negotiations.
- The agreement aims to create the world's largest free trade zone covering about 700 million people.
- Tariffs and trade barriers are expected to be largely abolished between the EU and Mercosur countries.
- The European Commission estimates the deal could boost EU exports to South America by up to 39%, supporting over 440,000 jobs.
- Protective clauses have been added to mitigate protests from EU farmers, with specific monitoring for products like beef, poultry, rice, and sugar.
- Concerns from farmers regarding cheap product inflow and potential lowering of production standards were a major reason for the delay.
- The agreement requires approval from the European Parliament and ratification by Mercosur member states' legislative bodies.
- 21 EU member states approved the signing, with Austria, France, Hungary, Ireland, and Poland voting against it, and Belgium abstaining.
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