Today, we talk about the EU Parliament’s decision to counter Jair Bolsonaro. A new airline is about to open in Brazil, despite a dramatic outlook for the aviation sector. The president says the Car Wash Operation is over. And Brazil reaches 5 million coronavirus cases.
EU-Mercosur deal not dead yet, but on life support
In a 345-295 vote, the European Parliament has passed an amendment to the common EU commercial policy which has been described as a rejection of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement signed just last year. The amendment highlights the need for ensuring fair competition and compliance with European production standards — adding that, due to environmental concerns, “the EU-Mercosur agreement cannot be ratified as it stands.”
- The vote doesn’t mean the trade deal has been rejected, but it paves the way for that. Especially as the deal lost its biggest backer on the other side of the Atlantic, after Ireland’s Phil Hogan resigned as European Union trade commissioner.
Why it matters. The original amendment proposal mentioned President Jair Bolsonaro by name, singling him out as the reason why the EU has cold feet about the deal.
- “[The EU] is extremely concerned about Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policy,...