The Portuguese Foreign Minister has said that the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union is working with Mercosur countries on “additional clarification” on environmental standards in the trade agreement negotiated with the EU. In a debate in the Portuguese Parliament on Wednesday (3 March), Augusto Santos Silva admitted that “additional clarifications are needed to ensure that all standards required in the fulfilment of the agreement with Mercosur and in the agreement [of investment principle] with China are respected,”. The minister announced, citing his duties this semester as president-in-office of the Foreign Affairs Council, in the formation of trade, that an “additional clarification” is being worked on with the Mercosur countries, with “all the time that is needed to ensure the same treatment in the agreement with China”.