INTRODUCTION: Signed in the year of 2019, the Association Agreement between MERCOSUR and the European Union (EU), as the biggest agreement ever signed between two economic blocs, foresees measures which aim to expand and facilitate international trade, in a sustainable and harmonized way. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the present work is to analyze the legal text of the agreement, especially the Protocol on Rules of Origin, answering the following question: what are the possible consequences of the origin regimen determined by the MERCOSUR-EU Free Trade Agreement? MATERIALS AND METHOD: Through the deductive method, MERCOSUR’s Rules of Origin and its requirements, set forth in the 77th Additional Protocol to the Economic Complementation Agreement nº 18, signed between the bloc’s Member-States, were analyzed. Next, the Protocol on Rules of Origin was examined, a text still without legal value and pending signature, resulting from the negotiation between MERCOSUR and the European Union. The comparative method was used to identify the similarities and differences between the predictions, seeking to clarify the possible consequences of these changes to MERCOSUR and its position in international trade. RESULTS: Thus, having verified the main distinctions between the rules of origin as being the system of self-certification of the products and its consequent process of origin verification, the flexibilities guaranteed by the agreement were observed, indicating, at the end, how these may represent benefits to the South American economic bloc and in the strengthening of its relationship with the European Union. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Despite the discoveries presented, in discussion, it is noted that the MERCOSUR-EU Free Trade Agreement is still in the phase of translation and technical and legal revisions, awaiting approval, signature and, finally, full ratification in the Member States for its provisions to become fully and permanently applicable. Even so, the study of this topic is opportune, since, after the agreement comes into effect and the transition period grated to MERCOSUR for the implementation of the signed commitments begins, its consequences will affect the market and, as such, its suppliers and consumers.
