The French government stressed on Tuesday (20.08.2019) that it has not yet given the green light to the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, and is proposing the organisation of "a kind of public debate" to examine the pros and cons before making a decision.
Emmanuelle Wargon, Secretary of State for Ecological Transition, said in an interview on BFMTV: “We will adopt our position when we have a sufficiently solid assessment to see the advantages and disadvantages.”
"France has not yet given its agreement"The Executive is launching an evaluation commission on the risks and contributions of the agreement signed in June between the European Union and Mercosur," Wargon recalled when asked about the implications of the controversial environmental policies of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
"Then I think it will be important to discuss it in a very broad and democratic way, in a kind of public debate, because we have to put all this on the table, and only then will France adopt a position and decide whether to give the green light to the agreement." said the Secretary of State.
Asked whether he condemned Bolsonaro's policy, he replied: “I strongly condemn all those who carry out policies that lead to deforestation.".
He then refused to personalize these criticisms on the Brazilian president, and pointed out that the problem of deforestation is not limited to Brazil.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at the end of July that he was not “fully satisfied” with the legal text of the EU-Mercosur agreement and that a discussion would take place in France in the autumn before giving the green light.
His government has already set three conditions for this approval: the implementation by Mercosur countries of the Paris Agreement on climate change, compliance with European environmental and health standards and protection for its farmers in sensitive sectors, particularly in the beef sector.
Source: EFE
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
