EU disguises usual protectionism with green concern – 05/08/2023 – Sylvia Colombo

Passing through Brazil two weeks ago, the president-elect of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, stated that he shared the irritation shown by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his most recent visit to Rome. The subject was on the agenda of the meeting of both in Brasilia.

On the occasion, the Brazilian said that some points of the so-called “side letter”, or “environmental annex”, sent by the European Union as a requirement to move forward with what would be the final stage of the agreement with Mercosur —although already there was a pre-approved text in 2019.

“I was also irritated by this, I sympathize with Lula’s position, and because our problems are often talked about abroad without knowing the situation very well,” said Peña. And he added: “The same thing happens when Paraguay is always associated with smuggling and drug trafficking in the Triple Border. But the region is not just Paraguay’s, it’s three countries. And there’s a lot to say about legal and positive commercial exchanges who pass by.”

The column had access, in collaboration with the Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color, to the “side letter” that until now had not been published and circulated only among the negotiators.

The text, in a harsh tone, demands that the Paris Agreement be complied with, under the risk of punishment in the opposite case – something that was not included in the original text and a goal that was not even achieved by several European countries.

Another requirement is “to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while promoting sustainable development and driving inclusive rural transformation”. For this, says the text, there will be an “intermediate goal of reducing deforestation by at least 50% in relation to current levels by 2025”. That is, a very short period of time to solve historical issues of the countries.

Also in a demanding tone, the European Union says that the agreement will imply that countries cannot “reduce their environmental or labor standards with the intention of attracting foreign trade or investment”. The document also talks about sharing information on national targets and monitoring their fulfillment.

A source in the Paraguayan government stated that it is an almost impossible document to comply with, with many banana peels; that a lot of work still needs to be done, because it includes conventions or provisions that do not apply to or do not include Mercosur, or even many Member States of the European Union.

Another source, on the Brazilian side, stated that the assessment is that the new document does not give space for Mercosur to discuss what the European Union wants and places the South American bloc as a mere companion of these demands. Brazil will ask that the agreement take place more on the basis of mutual collaboration than on the basis of demands.

Negotiations to try to close the EU-Mercosur agreement have dragged on for more than 20 years. Even with a text approved in 2019, it has not yet entered into force because it needs to be ratified by the Parliaments of all 31 countries. There is growing resistance towards agricultural producers in some countries, such as France.

The addendum contains noble purposes and really urgent themes in the face of climate change and in relation to the preservation of the environment. On the other hand, it has an almost hostile tone that suggests that, in fact, what the European Union really wants is to postpone a decision.

It would be the usual protectionism, only now disguised as green concern.

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