Under Paraguay's Pro Tempore Presidency of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), the National Coordinators of the Common Market Group (GMC) began their first ordinary meeting of the year in Asunción. Delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Bolivia participated in the meeting, held from March 3 to 5.
The meeting marked the start of the bloc's agenda for the first half of the year, with special emphasis on modernizing border controls, strengthening interoperability between systems, and advancing the digitization of procedures, in line with the objectives of facilitating regional trade.
According to the official statement, during the opening of the sessions Paraguay presented five proposals aimed at update the regulatory framework of Integrated Control Areas (ICA), a central instrument for the coordinated management of border controls between the States Parties.
It is worth recalling that Integrated Control Areas (ICAs), as defined by the MERCOSUR Recife Agreement, are spaces at border crossings where the agencies of the Member States coordinate their customs, health, and security controls jointly. The modernization of ICAs aims to expedite the transit of people, goods, and means of transport, strengthen the interoperability of national systems, and improve logistical efficiency, thereby consolidating the facilitation of intra-regional trade.
In parallel, the Paraguayan Pro Tempore Presidency proposed two initiatives aimed at updating the functional structure of the Secretariat of MERCOSUR, with the aim of strengthening the institutional capacity of the bloc and supporting the new challenges of the integration process.
During the meeting, the delegations also exchanged views on the current state of the integration process and reviewed the main topics on MERCOSUR's economic and trade agenda. These included the Common External Tariff (CET), the MERCOSUR Structural Convergence Fund (FOCEM), the automotive and sugar sectors, as well as issues related to trade and sustainable development, regulatory matters, and intellectual property.
With regards to external agendaThe coordinators analyzed the status of the bloc's trade negotiations with various regional and extra-regional partners. In this context, they reiterated the priority given to concluding negotiations with the United Arab Emirates and Canada, and underscored MERCOSUR's strategic interest in deepening its integration into Asian markets.
Finally, Paraguay reported that it plans to convene a meeting of foreign ministers of the States Parties on the occasion of 35th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Asunción. The meeting will seek to create a space for political reflection on the progress and challenges of the integration process, and will include a discussion between the foreign ministers and cultural activities designed to highlight the diversity and common heritage of MERCOSUR.
MERCOSUR in figures
| Indicator | key data |
| Year of creation | 1991, with the signing of the Treaty of Asunción |
| Member countries | Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay (founding members). Venezuela joined in 2006 and is currently suspended. Bolivia is in the process of full accession. |
| Population of the block | More than 290 million inhabitants |
| Economic weight | Nearly 70% of South America's GDP |
| Main trade agreements and negotiations | Agreement with the European Union, agreements with EFTA and Singapore, and ongoing negotiations with the United Arab Emirates and Canada. |
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