EU governments have endorsed two agreements with Mexico that would update the bloc’s relationship with the country and set new terms for trade once they are formally signed and approved.
The Council of the EU adopted on Monday decisions authorising the signing of the EU-Mexico Political, Economic and Cooperation Strategic Partnership Agreement — known as the Modernised Global Agreement (MGA) — and a separate interim Trade Agreement (iTA), the Council informed in a release.
Both deals still require the European Parliament’s consent before they can be formally concluded by the Council.
The MGA would also need ratification by all EU member states before it can fully enter into force, while the interim Trade Agreement does not require national ratifications because it falls under EU exclusive competence.
The agreements are expected to be formally signed at an EU-Mexico summit on 22 May 2026.
What the two agreements cover
The MGA would set a single legal framework for EU-Mexico relations spanning political dialogue, cooperation, trade and investment, according to the Council.
It includes cooperation areas such as security, justice, sustainable development, climate change and digital transformation, and provides for regular high-level dialogue on human rights, security and justice.
Until the MGA fully enters into force, some parts related to political dialogue and cooperation may be applied provisionally.
The interim Trade Agreement would operate as a stand-alone deal until the full MGA takes effect, covering trade and investment liberalisation.
It is intended to remove most remaining customs duties and improve access to public procurement markets, while also opening up some services and investment opportunities.
The interim agreement would eliminate high tariffs on some EU exports, including agri-food products, and improve conditions for sectors such as machinery, pharmaceuticals and transport equipment.
It would also protect hundreds of European geographical indications — names for region-linked food and drink products such as certain wines, cheeses and spirits — on the Mexican market.
More than 45,000 EU companies export to Mexico and most of them are small and medium-sized enterprises.
EU-Mexico relations are currently governed by a “Global Agreement” that entered into force in 2000, with negotiations to modernise it launched in 2016 and concluded on 17 January 2025.
Mexico is the EU’s second-largest trading partner in Latin America and the EU is Mexico’s third-largest trading partner, with trade totalling more than €82 billion in goods in 2024 and nearly €26 billion in services in 2023.
