Enlargement of Mercosur: Difference between revisions

Mercosur (or Mercosul) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join Mercosur, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Treaty of Asunción, which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions.^[1]

Criteria

According to the Treaties of Mercosur, membership of Mercosur “will be open to the accession, through negotiation, of the other members of the Latin American Integration Association..” (Uruguay Part). And their requirements would apply to join are:

• Membership in ALADI
• Unanimous approval
• Adoption of Fundamental Instruments
• Adoption of the Common External Tariff (CET)
• Incorporation into the Regulatory Framework
• Participation in negotiations

Example

The following is an example of the accession process—Bolivia’s path to membership from its Memeber as an observer member in 1998 with recognition from Mercosur, and then in 2006 by Evo Morales requesting to be a full member. Ease of accession depends on the state: how integrated it is with Mercosur beforehand, the state of its economy and public institutions, any outstanding political issues with Mercosur and (historically) how much law to date Mercosur has built up that the acceding state must adopt. This outline also includes integration steps taken by the accession country after it attains membership.^[2]

Historical enlargements

See also

References