Over 50 Trade Justice Organizations, Unions and Social Movements Launch Campaign Against Toxic EU-Latin America Trade Agreements.
Today, more than 50 organizations and social movements from 17 countries across Latin America and the European Union are joining forces to launch a campaign demanding a stop of free trade agreements (FTAs) between the two regions. The campaign aims to expose the environmental destruction, social injustice, health risks and deepening inequalities perpetuated by these agreements and to send a clear message to policymakers: No more FTAs! Stop Toxic Trade!
The launch comes in direct response to the European Commission’s recent announcement to push forward with the finalization of two major trade agreements: the expanded EU-Mexico deal and the EU-Mercosur agreement.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first EU-Latin America trade agreement (with Mexico). The organizations supporting this campaign denounce that after over two decades, promises of prosperity and mutual development have failed to materialize. Instead, these agreements have deepened asymmetries between Europe and Latin America. They have driven unsustainable economic models based on extractivism, environmental degradation, and the prioritization of corporate profits over human rights, biodiversity, and local livelihoods. Enough is enough.
The campaign will run in at least 17 countries and 6 languages across multiple digital platforms with the aim to demonstrate what these agreements have meant for the agricultural sector, industry, working conditions, the environment, health and access to basic services. It will highlight the lived experiences and research from communities directly affected by these trade deals. From deforestation in the Amazon and pollution from mining operations, to the loss of small-scale farming and the erosion of workers’ rights – the campaign amplifies voices that have long been ignored by trade negotiators.
The goals of the campaign are to:
- Raise awareness of the damaging impacts of existing and proposed EU-Latin America trade agreements on people, the environment, and democracy.
- Mobilize citizens across both continents to oppose the EU-Mercosur and EU-Mexico agreements.
- Demand a halt to the signing of any new FTAs and call for a rethinking of international trade based on justice, sustainability, and solidarity.
After 25 years of failed promises and growing corporate control, our message is clear: These agreements are toxic. They are unfair. They are unsustainable. From both sides of the Atlantic, we say: Stop Toxic Trade!
Further information can be found here: https://europeantradejustice.org/stop-toxic-trade-deals-campaign/
