News, Statements

Declaration of parliamentarians and representatives of political forces in the framework of the World Social Forum 2018 in Salvador da Bahia

Dismantle Corporate Power

 

REJECTING ANY MERCOSUR-EU FTA  (MEFTA)

 

Meeting in the framework of the World Social Forum of Salvador da Bahia, where present in order to have a dialogue with the social movements and coordinate joint campaigns, we oppose any initialing of a FTA between the EU and Mercosur.

 

We consider unacceptable a conclusion of this agreement negotiated in secret, without up-to-date due Sustainable Impact Assessment study, ignoring asymmetries would condemn the Mercosur countries to depend only from the exportation of raw material, agribusiness products, fossil energy, mining products, while the UE would strongly increase its exportation of industrial goods, and its market Access to services, public procurement, and intellectual property rights, impeding access to medicines, among others.

 

On the other hand, this agreement would finish thousands of small and middle farms on both sides, and the destruction of more than 50 million hectares of rain forest in the Amazonian region, with devastating consequences for indigenous people and for biodiversity and environment, a blatant violation of the Paris Agreement.

 

Therefore we claim that no agreement should be signed, Peoples of Mercosur and the EU must be duly consulted on what kind of agreement they want to intensify their relation.