400 organisations and alliances call for an end to the EU-Mercosur agreement
Berlin, 28.11: Just one week before a possible announcement of a new political agreement on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, 400 civil society organisations, social movements, think tanks and other social groups from Latin America and the European Union representing several million people are calling for an end to the negotiations on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. They describe it as a ‘toxic agreement’ that sacrifices people, democracy and the planet for the benefit of business interests.
Lack of democracy and transparency
The EU-Mercosur agreement has been negotiated behind closed doors for two decades and has excluded public participation and democratic scrutiny. The European Commission's lack of transparency has been widely criticised, including by its own European Ombudsman. The additional protocol proposed in the agreement does not address the environmental and sustainability issues highlighted in a European Parliament resolution in 2020.
"The EU Commission's efforts to split the agreement into parts are nothing more than an undemocratic power grab. It would specifically ignore the vetoes of individual countries and the publicly expressed concerns of those most affected – workers, smallholders, indigenous communities and women", says Julie Zalcman of Friends of the Earth Europe.
Agreement undermines environmental and human rights protection
The agreement perpetuates exploitative trade structures, promotes harmful agricultural practices that threaten access to healthy, local and fair food, and displaces local farmers and indigenous communities.
"The EU-Mercosur Agreement is a poison for biodiversity and rural communities in Mercosur. It will boost exports of toxic pesticides from Europe to Mercosur countries, including chemicals that are actually banned in the EU. This agreement exacerbates social and environmental inequalities, promotes deforestation, accelerates the climate crisis and violates human rights", says Francisco Vladimir Silva of Jubileo Sul Brasil and Frente Brasileira contra o acordo UE-Mercosur.
No deal with governments like Javier Milei's
In their statement, the signatory organizations also point to the danger of negotiating with leaders and governments in Argentina and Paraguay who deny the climate crisis, while Brazil struggles with unprecedented droughts and forest fires devastate the entire region. In Argentina, the economic policies of current President Javier Milei have plunged millions into poverty, curtailed basic rights and reduced public services. While EU leaders were reluctant to sign an agreement with former Brazilian President Bolsonaro, they seem less skeptical of the similarly dangerous Milei threatening to leave the Paris climate agreement. In their statement, the NGOs warn: "The combination of Milei's catastrophic measures and this outdated trade agreement is a recipe for disaster."
The full statement and all signatories can be found here: https://europeantradejustice.org/eu-mercosur-nov2024/
For further comments please contact:
Bettina Müller, Trade and Investment Policy Officer, +49 (0)30 278 757 86, bettina.mueller@power-shift.de
