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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

MEPs, Latin American MPs to focus on financial crisis, trade ties

Security and defense, migration, the financial crisis and climate change will be on the agenda when MEPs and their Latin American counterparts meet 17-19 May in Montevideo, Uruguay, for the fifth plenary of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat). A key issue will be negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). Spanish EPP member Jose Ignacio Salafranca, who will co-chair the meeting, said, "I see this Eurolat meeting as a sign of a healthy two-way relationship: we are able to move forward with different agreements both during good economic times for Europe as well as during the current financial crisis, when our Member States are stagnationg and Latin American countries are leading world economic growth".

Some EU governments have expressed concern over the idea of opening European markets to South American agricultural imports in return for a greater access to Mercosur's markets. They have warned that increased food imports could pose problems for many EU producers.

Three resolutions on different aspects of EU-Latin American relations, trade agreements, political cooperation to step up security and the fight against drug trafficking or how to promote employment will be discussed by the three standing committees of Eurolat and voted in plenary 19 May.

Source  Press room - European Parliament

More information  Press room - European Parliament

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