EU Chief welcomes French Prime Minister Barnier in Brussels

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier in Brussels ahead of a meeting to discuss a possible EU-South America Trade Deal. A trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc is back in the spotlight with renewed hopes of a deal by year end.

The blockbuster trade pact between the 27-country European Union and Mercosur countries, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay has been 25 years in the making and would create the world's biggest free trade zone. The contours of a deal were agreed in 2019 but some EU states blocked its ratification over environmental concerns.