In its first mandate, the Von der Leyen commission sought to attach human rights and green conditions to commercial transactions – which turned out to be more than its partners were ready to take. Consequently, a trip at the end of 2023 to seal a Latin American trade agreement was canceled at the last minute. Another, with Australia, collapsed after the EU Bigwigs flew worldwide for a signature ceremony that has never occurred.
The reverse exposed the noble commercial aspirations of Von der Leyen as unrealistic. A change in the mentality was fully exposed in the weeks preceding the inauguration of Trump.
“My point of view for the past two months, and I think it has also been very clearly confirmed here in the last two days in Davos, is that there is a huge interest in accelerating free negotiations -Schange with the European Union, “Šefčovič told Politico in the world for the economic forum when asked in an interview if he has perceived a change in the EU trade policy.
Trump has not yet followed his campaign threats to impose universal rates from 10 to 20% on the rest of the world – and more for Canada, Mexico and China. But the simple perspective had a galvanizing effect.
“Trump does – involuntarily – helps facilitate trade agreements between the EU and third parties. You can see that there is a change of mind, a certain new dynamic, “said an EU diplomat who, like others in this story, has obtained anonymity to speak frankly.
REALITY
After two decades of back and forth in Mercosur, a South American commercial block, the European Commission concluded a political agreement in early December. In a major concession, it has agreed that the parties can request compensation on losses resulting from the strict EU regulations, such as that aimed at slowing down deforestation. This so-called rebalancing mechanism was a first for an EU trade agreement, said a senior EU.
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