By Daniela Desantis and Philip Blenkinsop
ASUNCION, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Top officials from the EU and the South American bloc Mercosur signed a free trade agreement on Saturday in Paraguay, paving the way for the European Union's largest ever trade accord after 25 years of negotiations.
The agreement, designed to lower tariffs and boost trade between the two regions, must now gain the consent of the European Parliament and be ratified by legislatures of Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa joined the presidents of Mercosur countries at Saturday's ceremony, with the exception of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who sent his foreign minister.
The deal was signed after receiving the green light from most European nations last week, despite concerns from farmer and environmental groups, who fear a surge of inexpensive South American imports and increased deforestation.
Von der Leyen, who met with Lula before heading to Asuncion for the signing, said the deal would create the largest free trade zone in the world.
"This agreement sends a very strong message to the world. It reflects a clear and deliberate choice. We choose fair trade over tariffs. We choose a productive, long-term partnership over isolation," she said on Saturday.
Trade between the two blocs, which encompasses a market of 700 million people, reached a value of 111 billion euros in 2024. European Union exports mainly consist of machinery, chemical products, and transport equipment, whereas Mercosur's exports are concentrated in agricultural goods, minerals, wood pulp, and paper.
(Reporting by Daniela Desantis in Asuncion, Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, and Brendan O'Boyle in Mexico City; Editing by Rod Nickel)
