The 4th Round of Negotiations for a free trade agreement between MERCOSUR and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA, the bloc comprised of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) concluded today in Geneva, having been attended by an Argentine delegation headed by the Undersecretary for MERCOSUR and International Economic Negotiations of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, Victorio Carpintieri.
In this round, which took place at the seat of the EFTA Secretariat from Monday 2 July, the following working groups held meetings: Trade in Goods; Rules of Origin; Technical Barriers to Trade; Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; Trade Remedies; Trade in Services; Investment; Intellectual Property Rights; Government Procurement and Horizontal, Legal and Institutional Issues.
On the basis of the commitments made during the previous round held in Buenos Aires and of the exchanges during the intersessional period, progress was achieved on the various chapters under negotiation, market access offers were exchanged in the areas of Trade in Goods, Trade in Services and Government Procurement and the negotiation on the Competition Policy chapter concluded.
In addition, participants defined the steps to be taken regarding each discipline prior to the next round, which is to take place during the second week of October in Buenos Aires. Before the next round, the blocs expect to exchange proposals on market access enhancement on the two sides and to agree on the provisions on Dispute Resolution, Trade Facilitation, Trade and Sustainable Development, Government Procurement and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
EFTA, created in 1960, is an intergovernmental organization set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration for the benefit of its Member States. The agreement with EFTA will constitute a step forward for MERCOSUR in its efforts to become a successful, smart platform for the integration of the economies of its four members (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) into the global economy.