EU – Mercosur Agreement further in doubt after European Ombudsman report  

EU MERCOSUR trade agreement

(19 March 2021) The European Commission should have concluded an updated sustainability impact assessment (SIA) before the EU-Mercosur trade deal was agreed, an inquiry by European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has found.  The Ombudsman urged that in future such assessments should be finished ahead of any  final trade agreement.   The aim of SIAs is to assess potential impacts of trade agreements, allowing the public and decision-makers to make informed judgments about the overall costs and benefits.    Publishing the SIA after the deal is done makes no sense.   The Ombudsman’s inquiry followed a complaint by civil society organisations, which were concerned that the Commission conducted the trade negotiations without an up-to-date assessment of its potential economic, social, human rights and environmental impact. EPSU welcomes this report. It confirms a point we have repeatedly made.

European and Latin American trade unions are critical of the Mercosur Agreement.

For the Ombudsman’s report

Trade union statement ETUC and ConoSur unions reject EU-Mercosur trade agreement | EPSU