The interim head of the European Union delegation in Brazil, Claudia Gintersdorfer, told Folha that neither the European agricultural sector nor segments of the Brazilian economy would lose out with the free trade agreement signed between the EU and Mercosur.
Since the European Commission and the governments of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay reached an agreement at the end of June, European farmers' unions have complained that erasure of import barriers for Mercosur products poses a threat to farmers in Europe.
In Brazil, automakers are concerned about the possibility of cheaper imported cars.
"It's not a zero-sum game where one industry loses and the other wins. I think it opens up opportunities for everyone," said Gintersdorfer, who is a German.
As head of business, she will lead the delegation until the arrival of the new ambassador, the Spanish Ignacio Ybáñez.
In an interview on Friday (12), at the headquarters of the EU mission in Brasilia, the diplomat said that the treaty is historic because it strengthens multilateralism and an international system based on "open and fair trade."
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon