Blow up the TLCUEM 2.0?

Almost two years ago, at the end of April 2020, in the midst of the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic, it was announced that the negotiation process for the modernization of the economic-commercial aspect of the Economic Association Agreement, Political Agreement and Cooperation between the European Union and Mexico, known as TLCUEM.

The renegotiated TLCUEM gives a message of trade openness and becomes the most recent piece of a new generation of treaties, along with the T-MEC –with the United States and Canada– and the TIPAT –with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region –, to strengthen trade and investment.

The modernized agreement with Europe includes new disciplines, such as energy and raw materials, sustainable development, small and medium-sized enterprises, good regulatory practices, transparency and anti-corruption, among others.

The European Union is Mexico’s third largest trading partnerafter the United States and Canada, and is also the second source of foreign direct investment In our country.

After the negotiation, the processes that had to be carried out are the legal review of the agreement and then the translation into all the languages ​​of the EU, which implies translating it into the more than 20 official languages ​​of the bloc.

Then comes the signature as a preliminary step to submit it for consideration by the legislative bodies of both parties.

In other words, the European Parliament and the Mexican Senate must ratify it for the TLCUEM to enter into force and be implemented in its entirety, which has not yet happened and who knows if it will happen in the course of this year.

But also ratification by national parliaments required; that is, of each and every one of the 27 member countries of the EU.

As is known, the European Parliament called on the Mexican authorities on Thursday to guarantee the protection and creation of a safe environment for journalists and human rights defenders.

In a resolution approved by a large majority, it warns that “Mexico has long been the most dangerous and deadly place for journalists outside of an official war zone.”

In addition, the European Parliament “observes with concern the harsh and systematic criticism formulated by the highest authorities of the Mexican government against journalists and their work.”

The resolution alludes to President López Obrador’s populist rhetoric in his daily press conferences to denigrate and intimidate independent journalists, media owners and activists.

In response, the Mexican Presidency described MEPs as “sheep” who follow a reactionary strategy against the fourth transformation.

“Evolve, leave behind your interventionist mania disguised as good intentions. You are not the world government, ”she emphasized through a statement released by the spokesperson.

This Friday, AMLO acknowledged that he wrote the response, which obviously does not favor diplomacywith Jesús Ramírez, his spokesman, without the intervention of Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

It is overlooked that the starting point of the agreement with the EU, in force in its first stage since July 2000, is the so-called ‘democratic clause’.

This represents the manifestation of the will of the parties to respect and promote, in their internal policies, democratic principles and fundamental human rights.

If that is in doubt, the renegotiated agreement with the EU may founderaccording to people who actively participated in various processes of trade negotiations.

In that case, the TLCUEM modernized could go into the backgroundwith which the commercial ties between Mexico and the EU will not be strengthened nor will the benefits for the parties materialize.

Except when world trade has been subject to protectionist policies that have led to trade warsthat the pandemic worsened and the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine aggravated.

So much so that the week ends with the news that the United States and its allies have declared a virtual trade war against Russia by withdrawing its ‘most favored nation’ treatment, which allows free trade in some goods and services.