PowerShift calls for U-turn for global fair trade policy
Berlin, 22 May 2023. A few weeks before the summit of Latin American and European states (EU-CELAC), a broad alliance of civil society organisations from Germany, the EU and South America announces action-packed weeks.
As part of a parliamentary breakfast under the patronage of the MPs Karl Bär and Kathrin Henneberger (Alliance 90/the Greens) organizations on the morning of May 23 Conclusions recently published Legal opinions an additional instrument to the EU-Mercosur Agreement and the “splitting” of the same Agreement.
‘The additional declaration is nothing more than a greenwashing attempt. The EU-Mercosur agreement remains detrimental to environmental and climate protection. The agreement is poison for the agricultural transition on both sides of the Atlantic”, said Ludwig Essig, Trade Policy Officer at the Munich Environmental Institute and coordinator of the Just World Trade Network.
Call for renegotiation
In addition, the alliance calls for a halt to the planned trade agreements between the EU and the four Mercosur countries as well as Mexico and Chile and their Fundamental renegotiation. As part of a joint action on the same day at 10.30 a.m. in front of the Federal Ministry of Economics in Berlin, the civil society organisations want to reaffirm the urgency of their concerns.
“The negotiated EU-Mercosur trade agreement is in principle a neocolonial instrument: It aims to secure EU imports of raw materials and agricultural products from South America while increasing EU exports of industrial and chemical products. It cements the exploitation of natural resources in the Global South for the benefit of European corporations”, explains Klaus Schilder, Policy Officer for Responsible Management at Misereor.
“If the Federal Government is serious about its climate and forest protection objectives, it must not sign any of the agreements with Latin America. We have already crossed six of the nine planetary boundaries. There must be no continuation of the way these agreements propose", says Bettina Müller, Trade and Investment Policy Officer at PowerShift.
Instead, the current geopolitical situation should be seen as an opportunity to pave the way for fairer trade relations. Recently, civil society organisations have explanation It presents principles for a new EU trade model based on solidarity, equality, cooperation, sustainability and democracy.
Press contacts
Bettina Müller, PowerShift Officer for Trade and Investment Policy
bettina.mueller@power-shift.de, 0049 174 4537604
