This article examines the European Union's ability to act as an international actor in the interregional dialogues through an analysis of its behavior towards the Mercosur countries from 1991 to 2003. The first part discusses approaches concerning the perceptions of the European Union as an international actor. The second one examines the development of interregional dialogues. The article presents a brief framework of the relations European Union/Latin America during this period. It analyses the Interregional Framework Cooperation Agreement, emphasizing the political dimension, and the advances and obstacles in the negotiations towards trade liberalization. The conclusion evaluates the actions of the European Union as an international actor in relation to the Mercosur members.
Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); European foreign policy; Interregional dialogues; Mercosur and European Union; Europe and Latin America
