EU, Mexico Begin Talks to Update Economic Agreement

Negotiators have held their first round of talks to update a bilateral economic accord between the EU and Mexico, meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on 13-14 June. The deal being updated is known as the Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement – referred to more commonly as the “Global Agreement.” The goods-related section of the original pact has been in force since 2000, with services taking effect the year after. The decision to renegotiate, officials say, was largely as a result of a changing international economic landscape, particularly in light of new trade and investment deals emerging in recent years – some of which include either the EU or Mexico. Plans to upgrade the pact have been in the works for years, with the two sides announcing their intention to revise the Global Agreement in May 2015. (See Bridges Weekly, 13 May 2015 ) “It is notably crucial to adapt EU-Mexico relations to the new realities of global trade and investment policies and flows, strengthen political dialogue and increase cooperation and coordination on foreign policy issues to better respond to the shared global challenges of a new modern world, from security threats, to migration, the fight against epidemics and climate...