Eurogroup - Eurozone

01/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2026 11:09

EU-Mercosur: President Costa to travel to Brazil and Paraguay 18:00 The President of the European Council, António Costa, together with the President of the European[...]

The President of the European Council, António Costa, together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will attend the EU-Mercosur signature ceremony in Asunción, Paraguay on 17 January 2026. Ahead of the ceremony, on 16 January, President Costa and President von der Leyen will visit Rio de Janeiro to meet President Lula of Brazil.

EU-Mercosur signature

After 25 years of negotiations, on Saturday 17 January the European Union and Mercosur agreements will be signed in Asunción, Paraguay, with President Costa and President von der Leyen participating. This step follows the adoption by the Council on 9 January of two decisions authorising the signature of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA) and of the Interim Trade Agreement (iTA) between both sides. This is an important milestone in the EU's long-standing relationship with Mercosur partners - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay - which reflects the European Union commitment to building partnerships across the globe to diversify trade and reaffirm a rules-based multilateral order.

The approval of the European Union-Mercosur Agreement, creating the largest free trade zone in the world, is excellent news for both sides of the Atlantic.
It will bring real benefits for European citizens and businesses, boost the EU's sovereignty and strategic autonomy, and shape the global economy in line with our shared values.
It will strengthen workers' rights, environmental protection, and safeguards for European farmers, demonstrating that rules-based trade partnerships are win-win.
More than 700 million people will benefit from the EU-Mercosur Agreement. Europe is open for business, and building bridges towards shared prosperity with our global partners.

António Costa, President of the European Council

Official visit to Brazil

Ahead of the signing ceremony of the EU-Mercosur agreements in Asunción, President Costa, together with President von der Leyen will visit Brazil for a trilateral meeting with President Inácio Lula da Silva in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is a key partner for the European Union on trade, investment, climate, multilateralism, the rules-based order, democracy, and human rights. The latest Brazilian presidency of Mercosur was crucial to advance the negotiations of the European Union-Mercosur agreement, paving the way to its signature later this week in Paraguay. This official visit will reinforce this strong alliance and further strengthen the bilateral relationship.

Press opportunities in Brazil and Paraguay

After the trilateral meeting in Brazil between President Costa, President von der Leyen, and President Lula, the leaders will deliver press statements at around 13.30 local time [17.30 CET], followed by a family photo planned for 13.55 [17.55 CET]. The event will be live-streamed on social media and the EBS.

The signing ceremony in Asunción, Paraguay will start at 13.00 local time [17.00 CET] on Saturday, 17 January 2026. It will be followed by a family photo around 14.00 [18.00 CET] and a press conference at around 14.20 [18.20 CET]. The events will be live-streamed on EBS.

Background

The agreements will establish a framework for political dialogue, cooperation, and trade relations within a modernised and comprehensive partnership. The agreements will require the consent of the European Parliament before they can be formally concluded by the Council. Ratification by all EU member states will also be required for the EMPA to enter into force.

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Brazil has been a strategic partner of the EU since 2007. The EU is Brazil's second-largest trading partner and its largest foreign investor, with over €300 billion in direct investment stocks. Since President Lula took office in 2023, EU-Brazil ties have gained new dynamism, with both revived and new political and sectoral dialogues on climate, energy, digital transformation, security, and public health. The conclusion of negotiations of the EU-Mercosur Agreement has added further impetus to the relationship. The EU and Brazil also cooperate closely in the UN and the G20, within the framework of the EU-CELAC summit, and through new initiatives such as the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and the G20 coalition for regional vaccine production.

President Costa recently met President Lula in November 2025 in the margins of the COP30 in Brazil, and at the EU-CELAC summit in Colombia.

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