EU continues to trade extensively with China despite its poor record in environment protections. Representational Image – Reuters
The garb of environmental concerns seems to hide a tendency towards protectionism, which seems in line with the interests of politicians in France, Italy, and Poland, where farmers have protested aggressively against the deal.
European farmers’ protests against Mercosur beef imports have already shown a deep-seated reluctance to compete on equal footing.
Old [colonial] habits die hard: Some European powers seem bent on ensuring EU-Mercosur negotiations mirror historical patterns. What patterns, you ask?
Those where European powers dictated terms to the Global South, shaping agreements to suit their own economic and geopolitical needs.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Europe: Add to that the fact that historically, European nations industrialised without regard for environmental harm or the suffering that many indigenous communities had to go through.
Now, they demand that the Global South adhere to stricter standards, effectively curbing development opportunities in these regions. This reeks of gatekeeping, as it allows Europe to maintain its economic advantage under the guise of ethical considerations.
That is not to say that environmentalists’ concerns about the faster depletion of the Amazon forest due to the deal aren’t genuine, just that European nations’ weaponisation of it appears quite dubious and hypocritical, given their stances on similar issues elsewhere in the world.
With inputs from agencies
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Publish date : 2024-12-05 10:25:00
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