“Another one bites the dust” – Yet another EU trade deal falls apart

Over 24 years of negotiations and once again the EU fails to reach a trade agreement
If the UK re-joined, it wouldn’t be able to talk to any country about trade and all UK deals would be nulled

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2023

CANCELLED: This week’s triumphant EU launch meeting with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay

On Thursday this week (07 Dec 2023) EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her large entourage were scheduled to be jetting in to Brasilia (the Brazilian capital) to glory in the signing of a trade deal which has been 24 YEARS in the making.

Once again, however, this latest EU deal with four South American countries is now going nowhere fast – or even slowly.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

24 years of talks – now on hold again

"It takes two to tango in South America"

In 2019 this deal was triumphantly announced by the EU Commission, then led by Jean-Claude Juncker, after 20 years of talks. Bizarrely the announcement was made in Osaka, Japan.

“We stand before you as the proud co-owners of a trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur.
“I like to use words with care but this is a truly historic moment. This agreement has been two decades in the making. The negotiations started 20 years ago yesterday – on 28 June 1999 in Rio de Janeiro! They have been long – and often tough – and we've come close before, but today we finally delivered.”
- EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Osaka, 29 June 2019

To this day the EU Commission’s website continues to parade the following :-

“The EU has concluded a trade agreement with the four founding members of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) as part of a bi-regional Association Agreement.”
“On 28 June 2019, the European Union and Mercosur reached a political agreement for an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive trade agreement covering issues such as tariffs; rules of origin; technical barriers to trade; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; services; government procurement; intellectual property; sustainable development, and; small- and medium-sized enterprises.”

Jean-Claude Juncker and his EU Commission spoke too soon. It simply was not true that they had concluded a trade deal. This constitutes gross disinformation.

The influence of the British people on the EU after the EU Referendum

In 2016 the EU experienced a cataclysmic event. One so large that even the Commission could not hide it. The British people voted to leave the EU's empire.

Because trade had featured in the Referendum campaign, and because the EU Commission’s lamentable performance in securing international trade deals had been highlighted by Facts4EU.Org and others, the Commission suddenly became galvanised. Trade deals became all the rage.

The problem is that the Commission kept announcing deals as if they were done, when they were not. Another example of this is the EU-Australia trade deal. The Australians finally walked away from this in October, as we reported at the time.

On many previous occasions we have shown how the EU Commission has a habit of announcing the same ‘good news’ many times over, well before anything is actually watertight and agreed. Like ‘Pravda’ in Soviet times, the EU Commission only publishes good news. (“Monthly tractor production up again!”)

At the time of writing there is not one word about this new, massive set-back in South America for the EU on the news section of its website.

If the United Kingdom re-joined the EU…

On re-joining the EU the United Kingdom would immediately be prevented from having discussions on trade deals with any other country.

In addition, all the trade deals the independent United Kingdom has now struck with other countries would have to be cancelled, causing a huge amount of work as well as doing immense damage to the UK’s reputation abroad.

Even if the EU Commission does agree a trade deal…

On top of all of this, any trade deals supposedly struck by the EU Commission then have to be ratified by all the parliaments in 27 member countries. In some cases this involves two parliaments in the same country, which have what are called ‘bicameral’ parliaments. This process can take a very long time.

Observations

Rejoiners have questions to answer

Extremist, anti-democratic Rejoiners are forever asking for 'the benefits of Brexit', no matter how many we research and publish. Well here's another one. The UK does trade deals in two years and the EU struggles in 24 years.

It must be said that the EU Commission's performance in negotiating international trade agreements has been pitiful since it took over sole and exclusive responsibility for all trade relations outside the EU. Member states are forbidden to have any trade talks themselves. Even after the UK voted to leave, when the Commission suddenly woke up and ramped up its efforts, the results have been dismal.

Witness the collapse of the EU-Australia deal in October. Now we have another to add to the Commission's long line of failures or desperately protracted and unsuccessful negotiations.

The Commission, disinformation, and state-sponsored censorship

What is perhaps most embarrassing about these failures is that the Commission trumpets its supposed achievements loudly on a regular basis, only for us to find subsequently that they were whistling in the trade winds. When it comes to the supposed deal with the Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, (announced in 2019), it must be considered a scandal that not only have these talks lasted for 24 years, but there is still no deal in sight, despite the fact the Commission announced this four years ago. This is disinformation if ever we saw it.

We would love to see any Rejoiner try to address this point directly, without immediately trying to deflect onto a completely different subject.

Finally, it is ironic that the Commission has been spending time on new anti-disinformation laws when it is, itself, guilty. We consider an EU world where free speech is under attack and where differing opinions are in effect being censored by the state to be a chilling world indeed.

And just for fun...

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[ Sources: EU Commission | Mercosur ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Tues 05 Dec 2023

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Reader Comments 4

1. John Jones , Tuesday, December 05, 2023, 06:30:

Good spot by Facts4eu:
Additional reasons for failure provided by Carnegie Europe:
"...It is rare for the EU to negotiate an economic partnership with a bloc that is both an agricultural powerhouse and highly ambitions in the industrial and service sectors. In purely economic terms, however, the deal is unlikely to substantially change growth figures.."
The fact that UK is now part of CPTPP is a big blow to the EU given the EUs desperate quest for global influence.
Further from Carnegie:
"...In today’s global competitive international landscape, the EU is compelled to rethink its approach to trade and association agreements. To differentiate itself from competitors like the United States and China, the bloc needs to consider more creative and inclusive economic offers that address the structural inequalities of global North-South dynamics...."
It seems Mercosur would also challenge the sanctity of the EU CAP - what a shame 😚
Well worth a read:
https://carnegieeurope.eu/s...

2. Ashley Great Britain , Tuesday, December 05, 2023, 07:16:

It really shouldn't take more than a few years to conclude a trade deal if both parties are genuinely open and mutual benefit is the goal.
It appears that nations now understand the Eu's approach which is to punitively extract the biggest gains for themselves.
The EU probably expects to pay half the going rate for produce while charging a tariff to import it, The EU needs protection after all.

3. John Jones , Tuesday, December 05, 2023, 10:07:

Apologies if a bit off topic - but grist to the Brexit mill - from, of all places, The Guardian's Larry Ellison
"I’ve got news for those who say Brexit is a disaster: it isn’t. That’s why rejoining is just a pipe dream"
https://www.theguardian.com...

4. Captain Thunderbolt , Tuesday, December 05, 2023, 19:57:

Not only is the EU happy in restricting trade through tariff quotas they have weaponisedthe FTA using the Paris climate agreement to sanction if needed
.
“John Ballingal said it was unlikely shifting the mix of how New Zealand met its targets - for example by cutting methane targets, and putting less of the burden on farmers and more on industry or transport users - would meet a high enough bar to result in sanctions.”
.
Thank god AU walked away,but I imagine Albosleazy will also do the same with his far left green ideals

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