Relations between the EU and Mercosur date back decades, with the 1990s Framework Agreement enabling negotiations for an Association Agreement. Talks came close in 2004 and again in 2019, but shifting political priorities, protectionism, and later the EU Green Deal stalled progress. Relaunched in 2023–2024 amid geopolitical tensions, negotiations concluded in December 2024, though ratification faced renewed political obstacles within the EU.