Signing of the Mercosur Agreement (January 17)

According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the EU-Mercosur Agreement, which is to be signed on Saturday (January 17), poses a threat to human rights and the livelihoods of indigenous communities. “Indigenous Peoples are particularly affected by land grabbing and displacement, as their territories are often the target of raw material and agricultural projects. This problem will be further exacerbated by the trade agreement,” warns Jan Königshausen, STP's Advisor on Indigenous Peoples. “The EU has failed to enshrine binding environmental and human rights standards in the Mercosur agreement. As a result, Indigenous Peoples have little opportunity to defend themselves against violations of their rights. Their displacement usually also means the loss of their way of life and, as a consequence, their culture. This leads to even greater uncertainty in the living conditions of Indigenous Peoples and their members.”

"The agreement promotes excessive raw material extraction, especially of so-called transition minerals and rare earths, and paves the way for a pesticide- and monoculture-driven export model that poses health risks and causes water and soil pollution. This is particularly devastating for sensitive ecosystems such as the Amazon region and the Gran Chaco,“ says Königshausen. He also criticizes the neocolonial structures of the agreement. ”The European market receives cheap raw materials and food at the expense of the local population and sensitive ecosystems in the Mercosur region. Social and environmental costs are outsourced, while the profits are reaped by a select few locally."

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at presse@gfbv.de.