European Parliament Opposes EU-Mercosur Agreement Over Brazil’s Environmental Policy

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Wednesday, October 7th, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution opposing the ratification of the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur on the grounds of concerns over the environmental policy of the Jair Bolsonaro government.

Passed by 345 votes in favor, 295 against and 56 abstentions, the text says that Brazil runs counter to “the Paris Agreement’s commitments, particularly in the fight against global warming and the protection of biodiversity.”

The position is a change from a 2018 report on the bloc’s trade policies. The document then concluded that integration with South Americans would have the potential to diversify Europe’s productive chains and could create a joint market of approximately 800 million inhabitants.

With the excerpt approved on Wednesday by members of parliament, the assessment now is that the pact “cannot be ratified as it stands”. However, the rejection is only symbolic, as the eventual agreement still needs to be analyzed by the Parliament, as well as in each of the two blocs’ national parliaments.

European authorities consider it unlikely that the report will succeed in overcoming bureaucratic procedures unless there is a considerable reversal in the advance of deforestation in the Amazon.

Last week, Portuguese Eurodeputy José Manuel Fernandes, who heads the delegation in charge of relations with Brazil, asked the two parties to hold talks to solve the deadlock.

Source: InfoMoney

For the full picture, see our Mercosur EU Trade Deal: Complete Guide.