Brussels, Dec. 18, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese prime minister argued on Thursday that it would be "unforgivable" if the European Union (EU) did not endorse the conclusion of the trade agreement with Mercosur, which has been under negotiation for 25 years and is "crucial" for the EU bloc.
"I believe it is crucial, as I have repeatedly stated at other European Council meetings, that we reach an agreement and finally sign the agreement with Mercosur, which is currently still somewhat undefined or even undecided, and it will be unforgivable if we fail to consummate an agreement that has taken 25 years to establish," said Luís Montenegro.
Speaking on arrival at the European summit in Brussels, the head of government referred to the European Commission's approval of the trade and partnership agreement with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) for the institution's president, Ursula von der Leyen, to travel to Brazil on Saturday to formalise the partnership.
For Portugal, the EU-Mercosur agreement is "crucial to ensuring reciprocity and equal treatment between Europe and our Mercosur partners, in a market covering more than 700 million consumers".
By a qualified majority, the EU Council (the countries) must now decide on the signing of the agreement, which could then take place on the sidelines of the Mercosur summit, scheduled for Saturday in the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu, on the triple border with Argentina and Paraguay.
This agreement has been under negotiation for 25 years.
Last Tuesday, the European Parliament approved safeguards relating to the agreement.
France leads a group of countries opposed to the partnership between the two blocs, which Italy recently joined, allowing for a blocking minority that could prevent Ursula von der Leyen from formalising the protocol.
Following the announcement of the end of negotiations in December 2024, the text has been going through the necessary steps prior to formal signing, such as legal review, translation and ratification by the countries.
The EU and Mercosur countries are trying to finalise what will be the world's largest trade and investment agreement, serving a market of 700 million consumers, as part of strengthening geopolitical, economic, sustainability and security cooperation.
The agreement covers the 27 EU member states plus Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, equivalent to 25% of the global economy and 780 million people, almost 10% of the world's population.
ANE/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
