EFTA | 19 June 2017

EFTA and MERCOSUR hold first round of negotiations

After four days of discussions, the 1st Round of Negotiations between the MERCOSUR and the EFTA States on a Free Trade Agreement was successfully concluded. The negotiations were held in a very constructive and amicable atmosphere and good progress was achieved in all areas.

The MERCOSUR delegation was led by Ambassador Horacio Reyser Travers, Secretary for International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina, as Pro-Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR. For its part, the EFTA delegation was led by Jan Farberg, Director General Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of Norway, accompanied by a large technical team from various parts of government.

Both sides had a fruitful exchange of information in all areas including: Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade Facilitation and Customs Cooperation, Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Measures, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade, Intellectual Property Rights, Government Procurement, Trade and Sustainable Development, Trade Remedies, Investment, Competition and Horizontal, Legal and Institutional Provisions.

In a climate of constructive and positive dialogue, MERCOSUR and EFTA undertook commitments in order to continue making progress in this process. The next negotiating Round will take place in Geneva in August 2017.