The EU and Ecuador – taking more time for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?

The three days of talks between representatives of Ecuador and the EU arrived to an end - re: FTA. Yesterday was the last meeting and the conclusion was...well, according to the El Comercio newspaper, “there was no definition or resumption of negotiations between both parties.”

The EU head negotiator, Gaspar Frontini, said that there were some sensitive matters that found clarification, but there were others that need to continue exchanging information. This, he continues, will be done throughout the month of July.

As mentioned in an early post, in a previous meeting there were three themes that were classified as sensitive: intellectual property, government procurement and services. Yet, the director for Latin America at the EU Commission, Gustavo Martín Prada, said that there are no points that may be unworkable.

Gaspar Frontini and Mr Prada met yesterday with the Ecuadorian media where they explained that “the dialogue of these three days have been constructive and satisfactory”.

What lies ahead? According to the note, the Ecuadorian President and the authorities of the EU need to analyse what has been said in these meetings. Then, as mentioned they will continue to discuss whether they will start with the negotiations (I suppose this is something like negotiating if they are going to negotiate??).

I would like to finish today with the Doris Day lyrics, and please I am not intending to be ironic or sarcastic, but I just felt that the negotiation sound very much like the song:
“Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.”