By Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday he hoped a trade deal between the European Union and the South American Mercosur bloc would be finalized by the end of this year,

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, stated that France cannot block the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, asserting that the decisive voice in this matter belongs to Brussels. He also emphasized his aim to finalize the agreement by the end of the year,

The European Union and four Latin American countries are preparing for a final push to clinch a controversial free trade deal that has been under discussion for 25 years. Backed by Germany and Spain,

For the EU, the deal would mean lower tariffs on products like cars, machinery and chemicals. Mercosur countries would benefit from better access to EU markets for agricultural exports such as beef, poultry and sugar.

The deal has been 25 years in the making and it aims to create one of the largest free trade zones in the world - but farmers in Europe are heavily opposed to sealing it, saying that they cannot compete with South American livestock producers.