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“Meat for cars<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is the essence of the treaty that the European Union hopes to sign<\/strong> with the Mercosur countries<\/strong> by the end of the year<\/strong>. It would enable economic development through the free circulation of goods<\/strong>. It would remove customs duties<\/strong> in Mercosur on certain products from Europe<\/strong>, such as automobiles, clothing and wine , and vice versa on agricultural products<\/strong> such as meat, soya and rice imported from South America<\/strong> by the European Union<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While some see this as a strategic move for their exports, others<\/strong>, France in the forefront, are crying foul over the threat of competition perceived as unfair<\/strong> by their farmers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The so-called Mercosur free-trade zone<\/strong> – a contraction of Mercado Com\u00fan del Sur (Southern Common Market) – was concluded on March 26, 1991 with the <\/strong>Treaty of Asunci\u00f3n.<\/strong><\/b> It was signed by the<\/strong> four countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay<\/strong>. They were joined in 2012 by a fifth country, Bolivia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These five countries<\/strong> account for 80% of South America’s GDP<\/strong> , and are all major agricultural powers<\/strong>, led by Brazil, the region’s main producer. Along with Argentina, Brazil is also a giant in intensive livestock farming.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For its part,the European Union<\/strong> laid the foundations for its negotiations with these Latin American countries back in 1999.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The President of the European Commission, Ursula Van Der Leyen, is calling for the signing of<\/strong> such a free trade agreement with the five South American countries.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nAn agreement 25 years in the making<\/h2>\n