Newly appointed diplomat wants to dismantle EU’s “unfounded narratives” against Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian Senate approved this Thursday (2) the nomination of diplomat Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva to head the Brazilian representation to the European Union (EU) in Brussels.

During his hearing at the Foreign Relations Commission (CRE) on Tuesday (30), the diplomat said that his “number one priority” will be to conclude the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU), which could create one of the largest free trade areas in the world.

Some European countries threaten to reject the agreement because of concerns about Brazil’s environmental situation, labor issues, and the quality of Brazilian products.

For Costa e Silva, his main mission will be to dismantle “unfounded” narratives. He points out that Brazil’s regulatory frameworks demonstrate the country’s concern with sustainable development.

“The argument is that Mercosul products do not respect labor rights or the European quality standard, and put the health of the population of that continent at risk. None of this is true. This narrative needs to be deconstructed. The mission is to show that the agreement will have the opposite effect: it will contribute to sustainable development and guarantee that the highest regulatory standards are met,” he stated during the interview.

The president of the CRE, Kátia Abreu, pointed out that the Senate can help in the negotiations with France and Germany, two countries that have shown resistance to the agreement, after the increase in deforestation in recent years.

She suggests the promotion of meetings with European parliamentarians and said that the preservation of the Amazon and other biomes is a concern of the Senate.

BRAZIL-EU ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Brazil is the second-largest supplier of agricultural products to the EU, behind only the United States. In 2020, in the pandemic-related difficulties scenario, there was a 10.7% drop in the trade flow (US$ 57.96 billion), between exports (-7.8%) and imports (-13.2%). Even though there was an increase in soybean exports (+58.7% compared to 2019), the trade balance was in deficit for Brazil at negative US$2.67 billion.

Between January and September 2021, there was a resumption in the trade flow compared to 2020, with a 28.9% growth in the current (US$ 55.9 billion), between exports (US$ 27.96 billion, +32.2%) and imports (US$ 27.9 billion, +25.7%), this time with a surplus balance for Brazil (US$ 48.3 million).

Manufactured products are 95% of Brazilian imports from the EU.

Source: Agência Senado