The study “Proposals on the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement and the Environment” by James Harrison, a professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Warwick, in the United Kingdom, proposes improvements to the chapter “Trade and Sustainable Development” suggested in the document that establishes the Mercosur-European Union agreement.

The article states that the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement (EUMAA) “fails to adequately address issues of climate change and environmental degradation, both in the EU and the Mercosur countries. It thereby fails to reflect the parties’ climate targets and other environmental commitments, such as the EU Green Deal and the Brazilian national climate policy.” The publication, which can be accessed here , points out five specific proposals to deal with serious environmental issues:

Addressing deforestation in the Amazon and in other biomes.

Combating broader issues of climate change and environmental degradation.

Recognizing the asymmetry of the trading relationship between the EU and Mercosur and its impacts on the sustainable development of the Mercosur region.

Improving the evidence base and consultation arrangements in relation to the environmental impacts of the EUMAA and future agreements.

Supporting the environmental efforts of civil society organizations

The 2nd chapter of the series of OCAA Webinars, organized by the Observatory for Trade and the Environment in the Amazon, was held on April 1. As well as the presentation by James Harrison, Vera Thorstensen, a professor from the São Paulo School of Economics at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), and Marcos Jank, a senior professor of global agribusiness from Insper and a coordinator of “Insper Agro Global” participated as panelists with the moderation of Sandra Rios, director of the Center of Studies for Integration and Development – Cindes.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUrdBihuliw