8 November 2023
16:30 – 19:00
European Parliament, Brussels – Room ASP 1G2
CLICK HERE TO REGISTERThe European Union has made the success of its green transition to a low carbon economy and the achievement of a green industrial plan dependant largely on the access to critical raw materials. Latin America has been and it is a clear target to source the needed minerals and metals.
One way for the EU to ensure unrestricted access to raw materials, is by accelerating the conclusion of free trade agreements (FTA). The EU-Mercosur FTA which had been on hold for years, is a key target.
Faced with this scenario, many are pointing out that these European policies could lead to a new form of “green colonialism” fuelling unequal partnerships.
The event will unpack how the implications of a green transition and EU trade policies affect countries in Latin America, in particular in the Mercosur region.
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese
16:30- 17:40 EU-Mercosur trade relations: unpacking the debates on deforestation and industrialisation
This panel will discuss the state of play in EU-Mercosur trade negotiations. It will unpack the implications of the deforestation legislation and the reactions from Mercosur countries, as well as their aspirations in relation to industrialisation and public procurement.
· Tom Kucharz, expert on trade and climate change, Ecologistas en Acción, Spain
· Maureen Santos, Coordinator of National Advisory Group of FASE, Brazil,
· Orsola Costantini, Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD, Italy
· MEP Sandra Pereira, The Left, Portugal
17:50 – 19:00 Corporate power and State sovereignty in Latin America amidst the EU’s rush for raw materials
This panel will discuss whether EU’s interest in critical raw materials in Latin America could lead to a wave of green extractivism and key peoples’ responses to it.
· Martín Mosquera, Editor of the Study and Director of Jacobin Magazine, Argentina
· Pablo Fajardo, lawyer, lawsuit against Chevron’s destruction in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Ecuador
· Bruna Cañada, ODG, Spain
· Liliana Buitrago, member of the Ecosocial Pact of the South, Venezuela
· Miguel Urbán, MEP The Left, Spain