Former minister says the Mercosur-EU agreement is a victory for the State, not for the Lula government

The former Minister of Agriculture and current senator Tereza Cristina (PP-MS) classified the conclusion of the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) as a “victory” for the Itamaraty Palace as a state body, not a government body.

“Victory for Itamaraty – a State body, not a government one – and for generations of diplomats who I saw act with mastery in favor of this treaty!”, wrote the former minister on her official account on X (formerly Twitter). She commanded the department during the former president’s government Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

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The agreement will constitute one of the largest bilateral free trade areas in the world. Mercosur and the European Union bring together around 718 million people and economies that, together, reach US$22 trillion

“Montevideo’s announcement states that Mercosur-EU partners reject unnecessary barriers to trade and maintain the blocs’ rights at the WTO. It is also said that environmental measures must not constitute a disguised restriction on trade and must be based on technical and scientific information”, stated Tereza Cristina.

In the publication, the senator cited the participation she had, at the time as minister, in the negotiations on the agricultural chapter, in 2019. “We prevented, in 2019, the inclusion of unreasonable environmental clauses, which are now removed, in writing”, she wrote.

The former Minister of Agriculture also stated that she hopes that the agreement “really progresses”. “We are ready, in the Federal Senate, to examine Montevideo’s announcement, which includes the 2023 negotiations”, he guaranteed.

(With Estadão Content)

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