EUROCHAMBRES and CCCM call for entry into force of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement

In a major effort to strengthen ties between the private sectors of Latin America and Europe, the members of the Council of Chambers of Commerce of Mercosur (CCCM) and EUROCHAMBRES met on September 22 to sign a Joint Statement in support of the trade agreement between the European Union and the MERCOSUR.

Negotiations between the blocs took more than twenty years to conclude and have resulted in a balanced trade agreement that has the potential to turbocharge economic relations between the two of the world’s most important growth centers, representing together 25% of the world economy. Once in force, the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement will not only eliminate key market access barriers for our companies, especially SMEs, but will also boost the competitiveness in each market for the coming years.

The 22 September meeting between the business communities of Europe and the MERCOSUR therefore demonstrated support for this agreement and conveyed encouragement to both sides to make the necessary efforts to enable our companies to benefit from it.

On the signing of the Joint Declaration, EUROCHAMBRES President Christoph Leitl said: “The MERCOSUR, with its 250 million consumers, is a historically important market for our businesses and a strategic ally for Europe. Therefore, we must engage with our partners now, and the best way to do that is through the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement.”

President of the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism of Brazil, José Roberto Tadros declared: “We are publicly expressing our support for the signing of the Agreement between the two blocs with the belief in a significant increase in commercial flow, consolidating the participation of South American and European companies in their respective markets and accelerating the process of technology transfer. At the same time, it will establish a permanent strategic, political, cultural, and economic link between the two blocs, which will facilitate access to goods, services and investments through the reduction and elimination of restrictions”.

President Natalio Mario Grinman, from the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services stated: “Historical evidence shows that a good part of the development of countries goes through knowing how to link intelligently with others. That is why for those of us who long for a future with economic and social progress, international insertion is a fundamentally relevant element. Without international insertion, that is impossible. And at the same time, different indicators such as per capita exports, the levels of direct foreign investment or the relationship between foreign trade and GDP show that, in some countries of the bloc, one of those is mine, Argentina, this insertion is quite limited, therefore, all actions aimed at promoting it are especially welcome ".

President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Services of Paraguay. Mr. Ernesto Figueredo Coronel said: “We are entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs undertake, seeking a yes when there is a no, those who seek to break the mold. The entrepreneur is the one who started the First Industrial Revolution, the Second, in addition to being immersed in the Digital Revolution. Thus, we are responsible for all the good that somehow makes market integration happen, in its economic and social form. Today, we are breaking the mold, we are looking for the yes when we were given the no. I congratulate everyone at EUROCHAMBRES, here in the person of its President, Mr. Christoph Leitl, and my Latin American partners for undertaking the pursuit of yes.”

Permanent Secretary of the CCCM, Mr. Ambrosio Bertolotti, declared: "This is a historic day for our Chambers, having a commercial link of this magnitude with Europe is exponential. We know that for any successful negotiation a good relationship is essential, with a view regarding the people involved, because the institutions are created by these people, whose good relationship will be enjoyed by the institutions. And looking for inspiration in Adam Smith, who before being an economist was a philosopher, that even in the market economy, which we believe, it is necessary to foster empathy. And that's what we're doing today, fostering empathy, because that's the only way we can achieve extraordinary feats."

The Joint Declaration between the Chambers of Commerce, of Mercosur (represented by the CCCM) and Europe (EUROCHAMBRES), can be found here.