Caretaker Government Approves EU–Mercosur Partnership Agreement

The caretaker government has adopted a decision approving the Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Mercosur — including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — on the other.

Relations between the EU and Mercosur countries are currently based on the Interregional Framework Cooperation Agreement signed in 1995. After more than 25 years of negotiations, the EU and Mercosur reached a political consensus on 6 December 2024 to conclude talks on an ambitious Partnership Agreement.

Deepening cooperation between the EU and Mercosur is expected to deliver long-term benefits both for the EU as a whole and for Bulgaria. These include improved market access for goods and services, diversification of trade links and supply chains, increased investment, enhanced security and a stronger capacity to address global challenges. The creation of a free trade area covering a market of more than 700 million people is also expected to provide Bulgarian businesses with favourable conditions for operating in Mercosur markets.

Earlier this year, the Council of the European Union approved the decision to sign the agreement, which was formally signed on behalf of the EU on 17 January 2026.

In this context, the caretaker government has authorised Bulgaria’s Permanent Representative to the European Union to sign the Partnership Agreement between the EU and Mercosur. The instrument of full powers for its signature is to be prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent to the Permanent Representation for deposit with the Treaties Office of the Council of the EU.