Transatlantic Alliance mobilizes against EU-Mercosur Agreement | attac Austria

Berlin, Brussels, Sao Paolo, Vienna. Today more than 450 civil society organizations on both sides of the Atlantic are starting a joint alliance (www.StopEUMercosur.org) against the EU-Mercosur agreement.

“The resistance to the EU-Mercosur agreement is not based on a conflict between European and South American interests. Rather, it is about the conflict between the profit interests of multinational corporations and the interests of the majority of people on both sides of the Atlantic. That is why social movements, trade unions and NGOs from Europe and South America are standing together and calling on their governments to stop the agreement, ”explains the Austrian platform Anders Akten, which is part of the transatlantic alliance. The international alliance calls for a new, socially just and ecological model of trade that is based on solidarity, the protection of human rights and livelihoods and which respects planetary boundaries.

The agreement solidifies the role of the Mercosur countries as cheap raw material exporters

“The increased import of environmentally harmful European cars in exchange for increased exports of agricultural raw materials threatens industrial jobs in the Mercosur countries. It solidifies the role of the Mercosur countries as cheap raw material exporters. These raw materials are obtained through the destruction of vital natural resources. All of this hinders the healthy, diverse and resilient development of these economies, ”explains Gabriel Casnati of the PSI international trade union federation, the international of the Sao Paulo Public Services Union.

“The EU-Mercosur agreement has been negotiated since 1999. Its goals and core elements represent an outdated trading model from the previous century that puts corporate interests above climate protection and exacerbates social inequalities, ”says Bettina Müller from PowerShift in Berlin. “It will lead to more deforestation of the rainforest, more CO2 emissions, more displacement of small farmers and indigenous peoples as well as less biodiversity and lax food controls. It threatens workers' rights and our livelihoods - both in Europe and in South America. "

Additional protocols do not change the fundamental problems of the agreement

The EU Commission and the Portuguese Council Presidency are currently holding talks with the Mercosur countries about “pre-ratification conditions” that could result in an additional protocol to the agreement. However, such an additional protocol would not change the text of the agreement and therefore would not solve any of the problems. The chapter “Trade and Sustainable Development”, for example, would still not be enforceable.

Austria's veto is not a pillow of peace

Thanks to strong resistance from civil society, Austria is one of the most critical countries in the EU. The Austrian veto was confirmed by Vice Chancellor Kogler in a letter to the Portuguese EU Presidency at the beginning of March. Other countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg as well as the EU Parliament have also criticized the agreement.

However, this is no reason to give the all-clear for the platform Anders Behavior: “The CETA agreement has shown that a no from just one country can hardly withstand the political pressure of the rest of the EU. Therefore it is important to increase the national and international pressure against the agreement and to show the alternatives to a "business as usual" in the EU trade policy. "

On www.StopEUMercosur.org educates the alliance about the dangers of the agreement and informs citizens about actions and opportunities to get involved to stop the agreement.

The platform Anders Demokratie was initiated by Attac, GLOBAL 2000, Südwind, the trade unions PRO-GE, vida and younion _ Die Daseinsgewerkschaft, the Catholic workers' movement and the ÖBV-Via Campesina Austria and is supported by around 50 other organizations.

The supporting organizations from Austria include not only the platform Anders Demokratie but also (among others) the European Chamber of Labor and the ÖGB.