EU Mercosur Agreement: Criticism grows-does it endanger the climate?

EU Mercosur Agreement: Criticism grows-does it endanger the climate?

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - The EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will today announce political agreement on the controversial EU Mercosur agreement. This agreement, which is considered outdated and triggers massive criticism in the current climate crisis, could significantly tighten the environmental impact. According to the globalization -critical network Attac, the trade agreement with Mercosur would increase the deforestation in South America by up to 25 percent. Theresa Kofler from Attac Austria warns: "The world is heading for a 3-degree heating-and the EU has no better trade strategy than to import soy and bioethanol on a large scale."

The agreement provides for an increase in import rates for beef by 100,000 tons and for poultry by 90,000 tons, as is already emphasized in numerous press reports. In addition, over 600,000 tons of ethanol are to be imported, with laxness to be expected in European food controls and antibiotic regulations. Critics fear that this endangers food safety in the EU, while factory farming in the Mercosur countries is produced at the expense of the local environment and the quality of European food.

criticism of the environmental and human rights standards

The EU not only plans to lower the food standards, but also to increase imports from pesticides banned in the EU, which could have serious consequences for the health of consumers. It also fears that the implementation of the precautionary principle, which serves to prevent health risks, is questioned by the agreement. With regard to human rights, the contract only contains insufficient measures to protect the population in the affected agricultural regions. The social conflicts that come from the expansion of agrobusiness are alarming; In 2017 alone there were 70 murders of small farmers and indigenous people in Brazil who resisted the threat from large corporations.

Attac therefore demands that the Austrian federal government are making its veto against the agreement and accepts an official rejection of the government program. Already the day before, there were protests before the Ministry of Economic Affairs against the advance negotiations on the agreement, since they are classified as irresponsible in the current form. As critical voices emphasize, this agreement could have catastrophic consequences for the environment and society and is another example of the dangers of an unregulated, globalized trade strategy.