Berlin, 31 March: The trade agreement between the European Union and the Andean countries of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador was promoted as an instrument for sustainable development and the protection of environmental and social standards. But a new study by PowerShift paints a different picture: Instead of promoting sustainability, the agreement favours trade in climate-damaging products without effective environmental and human rights safeguards.
PowerShift's analysis examines the impact of the agreement on trade in commodities such as gold, coal and copper, as well as agricultural products such as avocados, palm oil and shrimp. The conclusion is alarming: The agreement contributes significantly to environmental degradation and human rights violations in the Andean countries.
“Shrimp farming in Ecuador has over 70 % destroying mangrove ecosystems – the environmental clauses of the EU-Andean agreement were ineffective", criticises Alessa Hartmann, trade expert at PowerShift.
The increased import of climate-damaging products such as gold and avocados from Colombia also shows the problematic consequences of the agreement. "Increased EU imports of gold and avocados from Colombia have increased deforestation and emissions – and are at odds with the EU's climate targets," said Thomas Fritz, trade expert at PowerShift.
The study raises the urgent question of how trade agreements are compatible with environmental and social protection and what reforms are needed to ensure sustainability.
You can read the entire study here: https://power-shift.de/klimaauswirkungen-eu-handelsabkommen-kolumbien-peru-ecuador/
More information can be found in the podcast: https://power-shift.de/media/wie-anden-abkommen-klima-schadet/
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact:
- Alessa Hartmann, Trade and Investment Policy Officer, alessa.hartmann@power-shift.de, +49 (0)30 278 756 32
- Thomas Fritz, Trade and Investment Policy Officer, thomas.fritz@power-shift.de, +49 (0)30 275 937 38
- Adrian Bornmann, Press and Public Relations Officer, adrian.bornmann@power-shift.de, 030-27590497
