Foro Empresario MERCOSUR – Unión Europea

Los párrafos principales de este texto (solo se ha publicado la version en inglés) señalan que: “During these years, the MEBF has issued several declarations, with specific recommendations in all relevant areas of the negotiating agenda and a clear motto in all of them: the business representatives claim for the importance of signing a successful, ambitious and well-balanced FTA that will bring prosperity to the peoples and societies of both regions. We firmly believe that the political and economic reasons that triggered this process at its beginning are now even more important than before: in addition to the growing importance of EU-Mercosur trade relations, political and economic interests between the regions are becoming broader. The EU continues to be the major investor in Mercosur and, on the other hand, important companies in Mercosur are increasing their investments in the EU. This process is not only contributing to the expansion of bilateral trade but also to the incorporation of new issues in the bilateral agenda such as sustainable development”.

A continuación, los empresarios del MEBF expresan su visión sobre el futuro de las negociaciones en los siguientes términos: “Now we perceive signs that indicate a new hope for the Agreement: recent statements of high level officials favoring the return to the negotiating rounds; the inclusion of this issue in the agenda of the next Spanish Presidency of the EU; and the overall consensus that, among others, open and free commercial relations are important and necessary components of the recipe to combat the current economic crisis. We need the highest degree of political leadership, commitment and flexibility to reach an FTA that takes into consideration the differences concerning the degree of development of the regions and the countries involved, while trying to help reducing them and fostering the necessary conditions in terms of market access and predictability that exporters and investors from both blocs require, as for example through the elimination of NTBs and subsidies. Both sides need to look at creative solutions to the blockages through a renewed negotiating effort”.

Y concluyen señalando que: “Again, the MEBF members declare their readiness to join efforts and to establish even closer links with the negotiating teams in order to keep pace with the latest developments of the process and being able to provide meaningful and useful inputs to it. We strongly encourage the teams to use our help to analyze the recent evolution of markets and international economic scenarios in order to re-launch the negotiation process and to achieve the results the companies of both regions need, in line with the objectives defined by the G20. We urge the Governments on both sides of the Atlantic, to take advantage of unique and exceptional conditions offered by the window of opportunity that represents the next Spanish EU Presidency” (ver texto completo en www.mebforum.org