On Friday 18 September, France reiterated its opposition to the draft trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) of July 2019 as it stands, because of its estimated impact on the environment (see EUROPE 12286/3).
“Deforestation threatens biodiversity and disrupts the climate. The report submitted by Stefan Ambec reinforces France’s position of opposition to the draft EU/Mercosur agreement as it stands. The consistency of our country’s and Europe’s environmental commitments is at stake”, said French Prime Minister Jean Castex via Twitter.
On the same day, he received the report of an independent commission headed by Stéphane Ambec, INRAE Research Director at the Toulouse School of Economics. The report makes recommendations on the impact assessment and implementation of the draft EU/Mercosur trade agreement and on how to amend this agreement to better protect sensitive EU agricultural sectors, take into account the precautionary principle, and strengthen compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement.
These proposed amendments should feed into the ongoing reflection on ‘next generation’ free trade agreements in the context of the EU’s trade policy review, which Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will be responsible for carrying out if he is confirmed in his post (see EUROPE 12561/10).
While in Brussels on Thursday, where he met Mr Dombrovskis, French Trade Minister Franck Riester said that environmental issues should be “at the heart of trade agreements“. He also added: “When the Amazon is burning, you can’t sign an agreement that might increase deforestation. [...] When non-compliance with the Paris Agreement is observed, consequences must be drawn on the timetable and from a legal point of view”.
In a joint statement on Friday, 43 farmers’ organisations from 14 countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland) as well as the organisations European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), the European Milk Board (EMB) and Biodynamic Federation - Demeter International reiterated their call for their respective governments to reject the EU/Mercosur agreement.
See the report (in French) submitted to the French Prime Minister: https://bit.ly/33EDHXv (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion, with Lionel Changeur)