Annex to the EU-Mercosur agreement

According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the recently leaked annex to the planned EU-Mercosur agreement does not offer sufficient protection for indigenous peoples in the countries of the Mercosur bloc: “The annex will not counter the negative effects of the ongoing rise of industrial-scale agriculture,” criticized Regina Sonk, STP expert on indigenous peoples, in Göttingen on Friday. “Protection of indigenous land rights is merely addressed as a vague statement of intent. There aren’t any tangible monitoring or implementation mechanisms.” The organization “Friends of the Earth” had leaked the document yesterday.
The negotiation process for the annex had – as usual – taken place behind closed doors. Lobby-groups of the automotive industry and agribusiness were allowed to take part, while civil society actors were never involved. “Hence, the agreement primarily protects the interests of the large companies in these two fields of industry,” Sonk explained. “It is especially the indigenous population that will feel the effects of the free trade agreement. Demand for land and cultivation areas is growing. Many export goods are already grown on indigenous land – while the communities living there are being displaced.”
In 2020, the umbrella organization of the indigenous peoples of Brazil, APIB, had already submitted a list of seven prerequisites for a ratification of the agreement – including a moratorium on the deforestation of the Amazon region, consistent punishment of illegal land grab, demarcation of indigenous territories to ensure that human rights provisions and environmental laws are observed, and stricter laws regarding punishment for environmental crimes and deforestation. The negotiations regarding the EU-Mercosur agreement had been on hold during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. Now that Lula da Silva has taken office, the negotiations were continued. The EU is desperately looking for ways to become less dependent on China – as is thus turning towards the countries of South America. “The planned free trade agreement will lead to an expansion of the agricultural sector – to the detriment of the local people. It will particularly be a threat to the lives of indigenous peoples who, due to insufficient regulations regarding land rights, can be easily driven off by companies. Thus, Germany and the EU are contributing to the ongoing genocide crimes against indigenous peoples,” added Dr. Eliane Fernandes, STP expert on indigenous peoples.