On Friday 19 June, MEPs denounced the Bolsonaro government’s policy of land grabbing and massive deforestation, which is intensifying during the Covid-19 pandemic, in defiance of the rights of indigenous peoples and a unique global public good for biodiversity and the fight against climate change.
But they also pointed to the EU’s responsibility, calling on it to “not be complicit” in its agricultural and trade policies, in a debate with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius.
The proposal to legalise land grabbing for industrial agriculture and mining was deemed “unacceptable” by all. Denouncing “an ecocide, a genocide”, Saskia Bricmont (Greens/EFA, Belgium) even argued for the EU to demand the withdrawal of this bill.
“With the European Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy by 2030, we want to contribute to the global efforts to combat deforestation and use all diplomatic instruments to do so”, said Mr Sinkevičius.
The Commissioner considered that beyond political dialogue with non-Member States, free trade agreements, such as the one with Mercosur, were “another means of enforcing international commitments on climate and environment and implementing the sustainable development chapter” of such agreements.
Many MEPs on the left, but also on the right, such as Mairead McGuiness (EPP, Ireland), questioned the effectiveness of this chapter and deplored the fact that ratification of the Mercosur agreement is still on the agenda. European soybean and palm oil imports were on everyone’s lips.
The Commission is considering a series of measures as a follow-up to its July 2019 Communication to strengthen the EU’s contribution to the protection and restoration of forests worldwide (see EUROPE 12391/5). “It will present a legislative proposal in 2021 and other measures to combat all those products on the market that are linked to deforestation. An impact assessment is underway”, the Commissioner replied.
A new initiative for sustainable corporate governance is envisaged and “due diligence will be taken into consideration”. In addition, a platform of all stakeholders will meet for the first time in October to exchange information on trade in the context of deforestation.
From the debate, Mr Sinkevičius said he had learned that the fight against deforestation is a priority and that this multifaceted challenge – environmental, social, economic, human rights, security – requires a holistic approach with partner countries. The complexity of the supply chain will also need to be taken into account in the EU’s internal policies to reduce their footprint in non-Member States. “That’s what we will do”, he said. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)