EU-Brazil Summit: Environmental and social concerns sidelined in pursuit of short-term economic gain
Commenting on today's EU-Brazil Summit in Lisbon, Monica Frassoni, Co-President of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament today said:
"There are important problems to be discussed at this first EU-Brazil summit, but unfortunately these talks seem to be limited to benefiting big business. What we need is a real discussion on binding rules to cap climate change, and on the development of alternative energy sources. Instead we are talking about a massive increase in the production of biofuels with its disastrous consequences for the environment and food security.
"We need to discuss consistent legislation to stop illegal logging and agro-industrial destruction, which in Lula's Brazil is progressing at an alarming rate. Additionally, we must shed light on the increasing participation of international and no more so of European investors in the destruction of the Brazil's natural environment and the consequence it may have for us all.
"Noteworthy is the meeting of Lula with Microsoft Europe's boss, who dislikes Brazil's very positive policy initiatives concerning a whole range of intellectual property rights. Brazilian Green Minister Gilberto Gil is a vigorous supporter of the Creative Commons Movement, which offers an alternative to the traditional patenting system that impedes creativity and sharing of knowledge in an internet era. Moreover, he has initiated a free software programme for all so that even the poorest neighbourhoods in the country can access the digital world.
"The new Strategic Partnership between Brazil and the EU, to be concluded at this summit, also raises questions. The initiative comes at a time, when Mercosur is in crisis. Greens fear that the partnership with Brazil, by singling out the largest and economically strongest country inside Mercosur and in Latin America, it will contribute to a further weakening of regional cooperation. The Strategic Partnership with Brazil echoes the Global Europe strategy Commissioner Peter Mandelson has been pushing since last October. Mandelson's strategy sacrifices multilateral in favour of bilateral relations, pursues an aggressive market opening policy for the benefit of European corporations and completely disregards the need for global rules to tackle global problems."
