European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrives for the LXV Mercosur Summit in Montevideo on December 6, 2024. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on January 9, 2026, hailed the green light given to the bloc's trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur, saying she looked forward to signing the accord "soon." The EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement is to be signed on January 17, according to Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno.