On 27 February 2026, the Centre for Global Law (CPDG) and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on EU-LA Global Challenges (CEJM), co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme, hosted a CPDG In-House Research Seminar dedicated to discussing the working paper “Conceptualisation and Operationalisation of Trade and Sustainable Development Clauses in the EU–Mercosur Free Trade Agreement: Comparative Structures, Divergences, and Effectiveness.”

The seminar opened with a presentation by Mariana Mariani and Leonardo Bortolozzo Rossi, authors of the working paper, who introduced the research objectives, conceptual framework, and preliminary findings. The study examined the relationship between trade and sustainability through the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters of the European Union’s free trade agreements, with particular emphasis on the EU–Mercosur Free Trade Agreement. The presentation explored the rationale behind the inclusion of TSD provisions, compared labour and environmental commitments, and assessed the principal legal and institutional challenges related to their implementation and enforcement.

Following the presentation, participants engaged in a constructive discussion, offering comments and methodological suggestions to further strengthen the research. The seminar concluded with an interactive Q&A session moderated by Professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida, Director of CPDG and CEJM, fostering an exchange of ideas among researchers on the evolving role of sustainability provisions in contemporary international trade law.