“Without political will, it will be impossible to conclude a negotiation that has dragged on for 26 years,” says Lula on the MERCOSUR–EU deal

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, spoke this Saturday, December 20, at the opening of the 67th Summit of Heads of State of MERCOSUR and Associated States, held in Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná. Lula noted that the December 20 date for the Summit had been set at the request of the European Union, given the expectation that the MERCOSUR–EU agreement, which had been under negotiation for more than a quarter of a century, could be signed on this occasion. However, those expectations did not materialize. 

“After twenty-six years of negotiations, we expected to finally sign the association agreement with the European Union. But unfortunately, Europe has not yet made up its mind. European leaders asked for more time to discuss additional agricultural protection measures. Yesterday (19), I received a letter from the Presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council, António Costa, in which both expressed their expectation that the agreement will be approved in January. Without political will and leadership courage, it will not be possible to conclude a negotiation that has already dragged on for twenty-six years. Meanwhile, MERCOSUR will continue working with other partners,” Lula stated.

The agreement will be concluded, and I hope it will be signed, perhaps in the first month of the Paraguayan presidency, by our colleague Santiago Peña”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of the Republic of Brazil

The Brazilian President detailed the specific obstacles that prevented the agreement from being signed this Saturday. He stressed that, despite France’s resistance to the deal, the path toward its conclusion remains open in the coming weeks.

“We were all aware of France’s historical position. Last week, however, an issue arose involving Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. This was not a problem with the agreement reached between MERCOSUR and the European Union, but rather with an agreement within the European Union itself. Prime Minister Meloni argued that the allocation of agricultural funds within the EU was harming Italy. As a result, she faced pressure from agricultural producers and was unable to sign the agreement at this time,” he explained.

“I spoke with her by phone, and she told me that she will be ready to sign in early January. If she is ready to sign and only France remains opposed, then, according to Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, France alone will not be able to block the agreement. The agreement will be concluded, and I hope it will be signed, perhaps in the first month of the Paraguayan presidency, by our colleague Santiago Peña,” Lula said.

The Foz do Iguaçu Summit concludes Brazil’s Pro Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR, held during the second half of 2025, and marks the beginning of Paraguay’s Pro Tempore Presidency.

COMBATING ORGANIZED CRIME — Under Brazil’s Pro Tempore Presidency, the bloc’s member states approved the MERCOSUR Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime [Estratégia do Mercosul de Combate ao Crime Organizado Transnacional / EMCCOT] and the creation of the MERCOSUR Commission against Transnational Organized Crime [Comissão Mercosul contra o Crime Organizado Transnacional / CMCOT]. This represents a fundamental milestone in strengthening regional cooperation in public security and justice. With the approval of the Strategy and the Commission, member states will now operate with greater integration to confront transnational criminal organizations.

The initiative reflects the commitment of Brazil and MERCOSUR to strengthening regional cooperation and adopting coordinated responses to challenges that transcend national borders. Inspired by successful models of interinstitutional coordination, EMCCOT prioritizes consensus, the optimization of resources, and the monitoring of concrete results to enhance the effectiveness of regional security policies.

Weakening institutions means opening the door to organized crime. Public safety is a citizen’s right and a duty of the State, regardless of ideology. MERCOSUR has demonstrated its readiness to confront criminal networks together”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of the Republic of Brazil

“Weakening institutions means opening the door to organized crime. Public safety is a right of the citizen and a duty of the state, regardless of ideology. Mercosur has demonstrated its readiness to face criminal networks together,” Lula emphasized. “More than a decade ago, we created a forum of authorities specialized in anti-drug policies. This semester, we signed an agreement to combat human trafficking. We created a commission to implement a common strategy against transnational organized crime. We also established a specialized working group on asset recovery, aimed at cutting off the sources of funding for illicit activities,” the President continued.

EMCCOT — The MERCOSUR Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime establishes a unified regional process for threat identification, the definition of common priorities, and the coordination of actions aimed at the prevention, investigation, and suppression of transnational crime, including illicit drug trafficking, money laundering, environmental crimes, and arms and human trafficking.

CMCOT — The MERCOSUR Commission against Transnational Organized Crime will coordinate the work of EMCCOT, bringing together high-level representatives from the competent authorities of the Member States and, when relevant, Associated States. The Commission will be supported by an Intergovernmental Technical Coordination Committee, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy, with an operational and results-oriented focus.

SAYING NO TO FEMICIDE — Lula also called on the South American bloc to work together to expand protections for women. “Latin America also bears a tragic distinction. It is the deadliest region in the world for women. According to ECLAC, eleven women are murdered every day in Latin America. I would like to propose to Paraguay, which today assumes the presidency of the bloc, that we work toward the creation of a major MERCOSUR pact to end femicide and violence against women,” he said.

UNITED STATES AND VENEZUELA — The Brazilian president commented on tensions involving the United States and Venezuela, which have escalated in recent weeks. For Lula, an armed conflict between the two countries would represent a humanitarian catastrophe. “Building a prosperous and peaceful South America is the only doctrine that truly suits us. More than four decades after the Malvinas War, the South American continent is once again being shadowed by the military presence of an extra-regional power. The limits of international law are being tested. An armed intervention in Venezuela would constitute a humanitarian catastrophe for our hemisphere and set a dangerous precedent for the world,” he warned.

BRAZIL-PARAGUAY BRIDGE — Lula emphasized that the inauguration of the new bridge between Brazil and Paraguay on Friday (19) sends a message of unity to the world. “This city holds special significance. It was here, forty years ago, that Presidents José Sarney and Raúl Alfonsín inaugurated two historic initiatives. The first was the Fraternity Bridge, linking Foz do Iguaçu to Puerto Iguazú. The second was the Iguaçu Declaration, which laid the foundations for the creation of MERCOSUR,” he recalled. “In a world where building walls often seems easier than building bridges, this is an example worth remembering. Yesterday, I inaugurated the Integration Bridge, connecting Foz do Iguaçu to Presidente Franco, in Paraguay. I hope this new bridge becomes yet another symbol of our determination to move forward together.”

Official photograph of the Presidents and Heads of Delegation of MERCOSUR Member States and Associated States – Image: Ricardo Stuckert / PR

OVERVIEW — Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira presented an overview of Brazil’s Pro Tempore Presidency. Over the six months in which it led MERCOSUR, Brazil worked to strengthen the regional market and update strategic common agendas, including the energy transition, technological development, and the fight against transnational organized crime. Vieira also highlighted the promotion of initiatives aimed at micro and small enterprises, especially those led by women, as well as the opening of new commercial opportunities among the bloc’s countries. “We sought to conduct a dynamic Pro Tempore Presidency, focused on deepening our customs union while expanding the bloc’s horizons to different regions of the world. A presidency that did not lose sight of our citizens, with initiatives centered on security—a priority for several of our states—human rights, and social issues. We are confident that the foundations built during this period will pave the way for an even more promising future for MERCOSUR,” Vieira stated.

EXPECTATIONS — In the next semester, Paraguay’s Pro Tempore Presidency will be responsible for continuing to prioritize progress in negotiations to include sectors currently excluded from the bloc’s framework, while supporting Bolivia in the process of incorporating MERCOSUR’s full regulatory framework to ensure its full participation. Brazil requested that the incoming presidency replicate the Agricultural Business Forum and reaffirmed the importance of continuing work on the Agreement on the Protection and Recovery of Cultural Assets in MERCOSUR, negotiations for which advanced during the Brazilian term.

MERCOSUR — Founded in 1991, the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) is the most comprehensive regional integration initiative in Latin America, emerging from the processes of democratization and political rapprochement among countries in the region in the late 1980s. The founding members are Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, signatories of the Treaty of Asunción. Bolivia is the newest Member State, with its accession formalized in August 2024.

The bloc also includes seven Associated States: Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, and Suriname. Associated States are authorized to participate in MERCOSUR meetings on matters of common interest. Venezuela is formally a Member State but has been suspended since 2016 for non-compliance with its Accession Protocol and, since 2017, for violations of MERCOSUR’s Democratic Clause.