Merkel, Macri Discuss EU-Mercosur Trade Deal Progress, G20 Preparations

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Argentine President Mauricio Macri late last week, discussing a host of issues including the ongoing efforts to clinch an EU-Mercosur trade deal. Negotiations between the EU and the four original members of trading bloc Mercosur, which involve Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, finished their 27 th round of talks in late March 2017 with plans for additional meetings throughout the year in a bid to advance the talks. (See Bridges Weekly, 30 March 2017 ) Talks for an Association Agreement, which would encompass a trade accord, date back 18 years, and have since advanced sporadically. The two sides have previously struggled to come to terms with differences in the agricultural sector – a sensitive area for both sides – among other issues. (See Bridges Weekly, 23 March 2017 ) However, the past year has seen a scale-up in activity, including the long-awaited exchange of market access offers in goods and services last year, and subsequent negotiating rounds and intersessional meetings. (See Bridges Weekly, 19 May 2016 ) EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström also told civil society representatives in late May that the progress and ambition seen on both sides of the table in recent...