Mercosur Summit, Montevideo, 16 December 2003

Text of a speech by On the 16 December 2003 in Montevideo, the European COmmissionner for Trade Pascal Lamy made a speech.

In this speech, he reminded that, since the very beginning of the 1990s, the European Union has always stood alongside Mercosur. The EU have supported the on-going regional integration process on a political level as well as through our bi-regional cooperation.
In this event, the EU welcomed recent significant achievements in completing the Mercosur internal market and at giving Mercosur stronger institutions.

He also promised that For the period 2000-2006, a € 48 million financial envelope should allow the European Union to actively contribute to the Mercosur integration process by strengthening its institutions and consolidating Mercosur in areas which would be decisive for the good functioning of our economic relations. This concerned for example statistics and customs, harmonisation of technical standards, sanitary and phytosanitary rules, macro-economic coordination or science and technology cooperation.

ESO: Background information: Pascal Lamy visits all four Mercosur countries http://www.europeansources.info/record/pascal-lamy-visits-all-four-mercosur-countries/

European Commission: DG Trade: Policy: Countries and regions: Mercosur http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/regions/mercosur/

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