MPs in Austria Reject EU-Mercosur Free Trade Deal
Lawmakers in Austria are demandÂing the govÂernÂment reject the EU-Mercosur free trade agreeÂment due to conÂcerns about Brazil’s enviÂronÂmenÂtal poliÂcies and recent fires in the Amazon rainÂforests, potenÂtially jeopÂarÂdizÂing the deal which has already been ratÂiÂfied by the four Mercosur counÂtries. France, Ireland, and Luxembourg have also threatÂened to veto the agreeÂment, but it may still have a chance dependÂing on the outÂcome of the Austrian elecÂtions on September 29.
Lawmakers in Austria have demanded that the govÂernÂment reject the landÂmark free trade agreeÂment between the European Union and Mercosur, the BBC reports.
Members of Parliament from a numÂber of difÂferÂent parÂties across the politÂiÂcal specÂtrum refused the pass the treaty out of comÂmitÂtee, citÂing conÂcerns about Brazil’s enviÂronÂmenÂtal poliÂcies and recent fires in the Amazon rainÂforests.
Brazil is one of four memÂbers of the Mercosur (the othÂers are Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), all of which have ratÂiÂfied the agreeÂment. If just one of the 27 EU memÂber nations rejects the deal, then it canÂnot pass through the European parÂliaÂment, and will effecÂtively be dead.
France, Ireland and Luxembourg had preÂviÂously threatÂened to veto the deal, which took more than 20 years to negoÂtiÂate, due to conÂcern for European farmÂers as well as the enviÂronÂment.
This comes as bad news to olive oil proÂducÂers and conÂsumers from both sides of the Atlantic who were eagerly awaitÂing the chance to export and import tarÂiff-free olive oil from one shore to the other.
However, the agreeÂment is not dead yet. Austrian votÂers head to the polls September 29 and dependÂing on the elecÂtion, a new set of lawÂmakÂers may yet breathe new life into the deal.
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