President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva officially submitted the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) to Congress on Monday (Feb. 2).

Brazilian lawmakers must approve the treaty for it to take effect, which is expected to happen in the coming weeks through votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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The agreement establishes the world’s largest free trade zone, with more than 720 million inhabitants. It was signed by representatives of both sides on January 17 in Asunción, Paraguay.

Under the approved terms, the treaty eliminates customs tariffs on most goods and services traded between the two blocs.

Mercosur will lift tariffs on 91 percent of European goods within 15 years, while the European Union will remove tariffs on 95 percent of Mercosur goods within 12 years.

Despite the formal signing between the two blocs, the agreement still needs to be ratified by the national congresses of each Mercosur country, as well as by the European Parliament.

In Europe’s case, however, submitting the agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for review - a decision made two weeks ago - has stalled the process and could delay the final stage by up to two years.

The Brazilian government expects that approval by the National Congress will put pressure on the European Parliament to advance the agreement.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Tuesday (Jan. 27) he will travel to the US in March for a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump. The meeting will take place at the White House, in Washington, D.C.

Lula confirmed the trip upon arriving in Panama, Central America, where he is participating as a special guest at the International Economic Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean, at the invitation of the host country. The event takes place Wednesday (28).

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“In early March, I’ll travel to Washington because the US and Brazil are the two main democracies in the West, and I believe that two heads of state need to talk face to face so that we can discuss the good relations between Brazil and the US,” said the president in a brief conversation with journalists upon arrival at his hotel in Panama City.

“I’m convinced that we’ll return to normal soon, that we will strengthen multilateralism, and that we will get the economies growing again, because that’s what the people expect from all of us,” he added.

Lula and Trump spoke by phone on Monday and discussed a number of issues, including the situation in Venezuela, the peace plan for the Gaza Strip, and the fight against organized crime, according to an official statement from the Planalto presidential palace.

In Panama, the Brazilian leader was also asked about the crisis in Venezuela as well as the US military presence in the Caribbean. He said he spoke twice with the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, in the days following the US military invasion in Caracas, adding, however, that he will call Nicolás Maduro’s successor again.

“I spoke twice with President Delcy, but I didn’t go into detail because she was very concerned about the events, which were really recent. I’ll speak with President Delcy again soon. I hope she can get the job done. It’s important that President Trump allows Venezuela to take care of its sovereignty democratic interests. We’ll see what happens. It’s all really recent, and I think we have to be a little patient because the Venezuelan people themselves will find a solution for the Venezuelan people,” he declared.

Lula said he has been talking to different international leaders in defense of multilateralism, citing the conversation he had on Monday with France’s Emmanuel Macron, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and Trump himself the day before.

Brazil and the European Union (EU) have signed a mutual recognition agreement on standards for processing and protecting personal and corporate data between the two territories.

The ceremony formalizing the measure took place on Tuesday (Jan. 27) at the Planalto presidential palace and was attended by acting President Geraldo Alckmin and European Union (EU) Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath.

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“It will bring more legal certainty, make life easier for people and companies, reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and stimulate reciprocal investments. A study shows that digital commerce could grow from 7 percent to 9 percent and lead to even greater service complementarity, bringing the European Union and Brazil closer together,” Alckmin said during the event.

The vice president emphasized that the EU is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner, after China, and one of the country’s largest direct investors. Alckmin also noted that this is Brazil’s first bilateral agreement on data protection. At the ceremony, he represented President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is on an official trip to Panama.

The decision indicates that the European Commission recognizes that Brazil provides an adequate level of personal data protection. At the same time, through the National Data Protection Agency (ANPD), the Brazilian government certifies that the European Union maintains standards equivalent to those established in the General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD).

For the European Commissioner, the mutual agreement recognizing equivalence in data protection creates a common area of trust for more than 670 million people, the combined population of both territories.

“This mutual adequacy decision is really very comprehensive, as it covers both the public and private sectors and will pave the way for the free flow of data, benefiting trade, citizens, and organizations everywhere. I am confident that your data, no matter where you are in Europe, will be protected,” said Michael McGrath.

Responsible for enforcing data protection legislation in Brazil, ANPD considers the measure a historic milestone for personal data protection, the digital economy, and the consolidation of fundamental rights in an increasingly data-driven world.

ANPD President Waldemar Gonçalves Ortunho Júnior explained that mutual recognition allows international transfers of personal data between Brazil and the European Union to occur directly, securely, and simply, without the need for additional data transfer mechanisms.

“The adequacy decision ensures that the personal data of Brazilians, when transferred to the European Union, are afforded protection equivalent to that guaranteed to European citizens,” he assured.

The adequacy decision is an instrument provided for in the LGPD that allows the international transfer of data when the destination country or international organization offers a level of protection deemed adequate.

According to ANPD, the measure does not apply to data transfers conducted solely for public security, national defense, state security, or criminal investigation purposes.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva published a message on Tuesday (Jan. 27) to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The text, shared on social media, reads: “We must remember the horrors that humanity is capable of committing against its own kind… Authoritarianism, hate speech, and ethnic and religious prejudice were the building blocks of this great tragedy of the 20th century.”

The genocide committed by the Nazis in Germany during World War II, from 1939 to 1945, claimed the lives of millions of Jews and other groups, including Roma and Poles, as well as homosexuals, people with disabilities, and communists.

In his message, Lula recalled that in 2004, during a meeting with Israel Singer of the World Jewish Congress, he signed a petition addressed to the United Nations (UN) to officially establish the date, which was approved the following year. The choice of January 27 refers to the day the atrocities at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Germany were revealed, in 1945.

“A day to remember those who lost their lives and to show solidarity with the millions of families destroyed and the suffering of an entire people. It is also a day to defend human rights, peaceful coexistence, and democratic institutions - fundamental elements of the more just world we want to leave for future generations,” said the president.