"She had intended to speak about the flashpoints in international politics, Greenland and Ukraine, and US President Donald Trump, but the journalists present kept returning to the issue of the Mercosur agreement and how her party scuppered its ratification. Mercosur, the EU's major trade deal with the four South American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, was meant to be a sign of hope in a world of increasing nationalism a boost to trade based on rules, not punitive tariffs."
"While many economists believe it could now take years for the agreement to take effect, Brantner is suggesting that despite the time-consuming legal review, there is a way the agreement can already enter into force: "As soon as a Latin American country has ratified it, EU Commission President von der Leyen has been given the authority and the task of implementing it accordingly," she said."
Franziska Brantner appeared uncomfortable at a Berlin press conference as journalists kept returning to the Mercosur agreement rather than other issues she planned to address. Mercosur, the EU's major trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was intended as a rules-based boost to trade after more than 20 years of negotiations. The European Parliament delayed the agreement again after a vote that included a majority of German Green MEPs, despite Brantner's attempts to secure approval. Eight of 11 German Green MEPs sought a European Court of Justice review and later called that move a mistake. Many economists warn implementation could take years, though Brantner said EU Commission President von der Leyen can implement the deal once a Latin American country ratifies. The Greens' vote aligned them with right-wing populists and extremists, producing political damage for the party leadership.
Read at www.dw.com
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