President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will meet this Friday (Jan. 16) in Rio de Janeiro with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, António Costa. According to the Planalto presidential palace, they are expected to discuss issues on the international agenda and the next steps for the Mercosur-European Union trade agreement, which was approved by the EU last week.

The meeting will take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Palace in Rio de Janeiro and will be followed by a joint statement to the press.

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After more than 25 years of negotiations, the agreement will create a free trade zone of 720 million people and will total a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 22 trillion, according to the Brazilian government.

The ratification ceremony between the two blocs is scheduled for Saturday (17) in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, with the attendance of European leaders and Mercosur foreign ministers. Paraguay currently holds the rotating presidency of Mercosur.

Implementation

On Tuesday (13), Lula spoke with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and the two agreed to work together quickly and efficiently to implement the agreement so that their populations can see concrete results from the partnership.

Although celebrated by governments and industrial sectors, the agreement still faces resistance from European farmers and environmentalists, who criticize its potential impacts on the climate and agricultural competition. Implementation will be gradual, and its practical effects are expected to be felt over several years.

In France, for example, farmers drove tractors into Paris on Tuesday, for the second time in a week, to protest against the agreement, which, according to the demonstrators, threatens local agriculture by creating unfair competition from cheaper South American imports.