Crown Agents, as part of a consortium led by Spanish consulting company ACE International Consultants, has recently been retained under a framework-type contract to provide technical assistance to the Project to Facilitate Free Trade between Mexico and the European Union (PROTCLEUM).
Although traditionally the majority of its international trade has been with the United States, Mexico is now increasing its efforts to strengthen its trade links with Europe.
The PROTCLEUM project, funded by the European Commission, began in 2005 and is now entering a second phase that will run until the end of 2011. The project is designed to support the process of trade liberalisation that has resulted from the signing of a Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the EU in 2000. It is aimed at strengthening economic and trade relations between Mexico and the EU by removing barriers to trade, promoting investment, and increasing internal capacity, transparency and competence within government institutions responsible for administering the agreement.
This will be achieved through a series of assignments to harmonise standards between Mexico and the EU and to strengthen the relevant legal framework in areas such as customs, sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, consumer protection and intellectual property rights.
Crown Agents is looking forward to being involved with the delivery of this contract as part of its growing commitment to assisting growth initiatives in Mexico and Latin America.