The European Footwear Confederation (CEC) and Brazilian footwear manufacturers association Abicalcados have joined almost 80 associations to call on European Union authorities to conclude and ratify a proposed trade agreement with Mercosur.

After 20 years of negotiations, Mercosur and the EU reached agreement in principle on a free-trade agreement in 2019, but the terms of the agreement have not been finalised. Mercosur’s members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Seven other South American countries are associate members.

Addressed to the presidents of the European Parliament, European Council, European Commission and Hungarian Presidency of the Council and shared with the Mercosur Presidency, the statement highlights that over €159 billion in goods and services was traded between the EU and Mercosur in 2022, with mutual investments approaching €380 billion.

The joint statement calls on policymakers to take immediate steps toward ratification, positioning the EU and Mercosur to advance their mutual competitiveness in a changing and challenging global landscape.