Download the PDF version of the letter here.
German version of the letter (PDF) – French version of the letter – Spanish version – Portuguese version
” Dear President of the European Council, President of the European Commission, President of the European Parliament,
We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are writing to call on the European Union to use its influence to prevent a worsening human rights and environmental situation in Brazil.
In April, more than 600 European scientists and two Brazilian Indigenous organizations, representing 300 Brazilian Indigenous groups, called for the EU to act as a global leader in supporting human rights, human dignity and a habitable climate by making sustainability the cornerstone of its trade negotiations with Brazil. We fully support this call.
Bound by the Treaty of the European Union, the EU and its Member States vowed to respect and promote human rights as an overarching objective in its dealings with other countries. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström has also clearly stated the need for new EU trade agreements to deliver sustainable development.
Since the inauguration of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in January 2019, we have witnessed increased human rights violations, attacks on minorities, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ and other traditional communities. Moreover, the administration continues to threaten the basic democratic functioning of civil society while instigating a fundamental assault on some of the world’s most precious and ecologically valuable regions.
We are deeply concerned about the following:
- Indigenous lands demarcation has been put under the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Ministry, paving the way for powerful cattle and soy agribusinesses to accelerate their sweep through the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical forest and the Cerrado, the world’s most biodiverse savannah. Though this controversial measure appears to have been temporarily reversed in May by the Brazilian Senate, President Bolsonaro may still veto it.
- There has been a dramatic increase in attacks on Indigenous people, other traditional communities and their territories. In February, at least 14 protected Indigenous territories were reported to be under attack from invaders. In addition, the government abolished more than 35 national councils of social participation. Attacks on people defending their territories or natural resources are on the rise in rural Brazil, resulting in increasing deaths of community leaders, peasants and activists.
- Bolsonaro’s campaign promise of “ending any form of activism” was implemented on his first day in office, empowering the government to “supervise, coordinate, monitor and observe the activities and actions of international agencies and non-governmental organisations within national territory.”
- Both the Environment Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry are now led by deniers of global warming, leading to the abolishment of departments responsible for climate change. Even as Brazil remains a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, it is becoming unlikely that the administration will take the necessary measures to implement the agreement.
- Socio-environmental legislation and policies have been dramatically weakened during the first 100 days of the new government. The Forest Code has been undermined with new measures proposing the reduction of legal reserves and a more flexible deadline for land regularization by landgrabbers. In January 2019, deforestation in the Amazon reportedly rose by 54 percent compared to the same period in 2018.
Civil society actors, activists, peasants, workers and minorities face extreme dangers from the incendiary rhetoric of the Bolsonaro government and its supporters. This includes his labeling of members of grassroots movements like the Landless Workers Movement and the Movement of Homeless as “terrorists,” generating concerns that Brazil’s controversial anti-terrorist law will be used to criminalize social activists.
The EU is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner overall, second-largest importer of Brazilian soy and a major importer of Brazilian beef and other agricultural products. The EU, therefore, has a responsibility to address human rights and environmental injustices taking place in Brazil under the Bolsonaro government. It must use its leverage to support civil society, human rights and the environment.
The EU is in the midst of negotiating a far-reaching Mercosur trade deal that seeks to expand market access and trade between the two regions, including Brazil. It is imperative that the EU sends an unequivocal message to President Bolsonaro that the EU will refuse to negotiate a trade deal with Brazil until there is an end to human rights violations, strict measures to end further deforestation and concrete commitments to implement the Paris Agreement.
In the past, the EU has suspended trade preferences with countries involved in human rights violations, such as Myanmar and the Philippines. In addition, the EU has restricted imports of products whose production is related to human rights in the case of conflict minerals. It is time that the EU takes a similar, tough stance to prevent a deterioration of the human rights and environmental situation in Brazil.
We therefore call on you to:
- Immediately halt negotiations for an EU-Mercosur free trade agreement.
- Guarantee that no Brazilian products sold in the EU, nor the financial markets underpinning them, are leading to increases in deforestation, land grabbing of native lands or human rights violations.
- Demand confirmation, with material evidence, that the Brazilian government will fulfill its commitments as part of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
- Increase support for Brazilian civil society, including strengthening the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy and proactive consultations with Brazilian civil society organisations that address human rights and the democratic functioning of Brazilian civil society.
- Monitor and respond to human rights violations—including investigating cases since Bolsonaro’s election—and strengthen mechanisms to protect human rights defenders. For those most at risk, including Indigenous peoples and environmental defenders, the EU should provide direct and urgent support where required, including through political representations.
Sincerely,
| ALBA Movimientos | International |
| FIAN International | International |
| foodwatch international | International |
| GRAIN | International |
| Greenpeace | International |
| ISP Interamericas | International |
| OMCT – World Organisation Against Torture | International |
| Plataforma América Latina mejor sin TLC | International |
| Alianza Biodiversidad | International |
| PSI Public Service International Américas | International |
| CIDSE – International family of Catholic social justice organisations | Europe |
| Climate Alliance | Europe |
| Corporate Europe Observatory | Europe |
| ACT Alliance EU | Europe |
| EU-LAT Network | Europe |
| European Coordination Via Campesina | Europe |
| European Environmental Bureau | Europe |
| Fern | Europe |
| Food & Water Europe | Europe |
| Friends of the Earth Europe | Europe |
| Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) Europe | Europe |
| S2B network | Europe |
| Slow Food Europe | Europe |
| Acción por la Biodiversidad | Argentina |
| Amigos de la Tierra Argentina | Argentina |
| AMUMRA – Asociación Civil de Derechos Humanos Mujeres Unidas Migrantes y Refugiadas en Argentina | Argentina |
| Asamblea Argentina mejor sin TLC | Argentina |
| ATTAC Argentina | Argentina |
| COMUNA (Colectiva en Movimiento por una Universidad Nuestramericana) en el FPDS-CN | Argentina |
| Diálogo 2000 – Jubileo Sur Argentina | Argentina |
| Frente Patria Grande | Argentina |
| Frente Popular Dario Santillan | Argentina |
| Fundación Grupo Efecto Positivo | Argentina |
| INPADE / FOCO | Argentina |
| Missionaries of Francisco Movement | Argentina |
| Resumen Latinoamericano | Argentina |
| Vamos- Frente Patria Grande | Argentina |
| Anders Handeln | Austria |
| Attac Austria | Austria |
| Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour/AK Europa | Austria |
| Climate Alliance Austria | Austria |
| Coordination office of the Austrian episcopal conference for international development and mission (KOO) | Austria |
| DKA Austria | Austria |
| globalista | Austria |
| Grüne Bildungswerkstatt NÖ | Austria |
| Grupo Encuentro Austria Argentina – GEAA | Austria |
| HORIZONT3000 | Austria |
| Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika (IGLA) | Austria |
| International Fellowship of Reconciliation Austria | Austria |
| Jahoda -Bauer Institut | Austria |
| NeSoVe / Network Social Responsibility | Austria |
| ÖBV-Via Campesina Austria | Austria |
| Parents For Future Vienna | Austria |
| proge Union | Austria |
| Selbstbesteuerungsgruppe Bischof Kräutler | Austria |
| transform!at | Austria |
| vöwg | Austria |
| ELA | Basque Country |
| Mugarik Gabe | Basque Country |
| TRADENER | Basque Country |
| Commission Justice et Paix | Belgium |
| 11.11.11 | Belgium |
| Broederlijk Delen | Belgium |
| CNCD-11.11.11 | Belgium |
| Commission Justice et Paix | Belgium |
| Entraide et Fraternité | Belgium |
| FIAN Belgium | Belgium |
| FIAN Belgium | Belgium |
| Indignez-Vous | Belgium |
| SOLIDAIR MET GUATEMALA | Belgium |
| Fundación Solón | Bolivia |
| Centar za zivotnu sredinu/ Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Justiça nos Trilhos | Brazil |
| Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens – MAB | Brazil |
| AMAST RJ | Brazil |
| AMAU (Articulação Metropolitana de Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana) | Brazil |
| Associação Alternativa Terrazul | Brazil |
| Asssociação para Recuperação e Conservação do Ambiente – ARCA | Brazil |
| Campanha Antipetroleira “Nem um poço a mais!” | Brazil |
| Caritas Arquidiocesana de Brasília | Brazil |
| Central Única dos Trabalhadores – CUT | Brazil |
| Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Seguridade Social da CUT | Brazil |
| CONFEDERAÇÃO NACIONAL DOS TRABALHADORES NA SAÚDE | Brazil |
| Convívio Slow Food Parahyba | Brazil |
| FASE – Solidariedade e Educação | Brazil |
| Fasubra sindical | Brazil |
| Federação das Organizações Indígenas do Rio Negro – FOIRN | Brazil |
| Federação Nacional dos Enfermeiros | Brazil |
| Fórum da Amazônia Oriental – FAOR | Brazil |
| Fórum Mudanças Climáticas E Justiça Social | Brazil |
| Friends of the Earth Brazil | Brazil |
| Grupo semente | Brazil |
| INESC – Instituto de Estúdios Socioeconômicos | Brazil |
| İnstituto EQUİT – Gênero, Economia e Cidadania Global | Brazil |
| Instituto Floresta de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Sustentável | Brazil |
| Fórum Mudanças Climáticas E Justiça Social | Brazil |
| Jubileu Sul Brasil | Brazil |
| Justiça Global | Brazil |
| Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra – MST | Brazil |
| Movimento Urbano de Agroecologia – MUDA | Brazil |
| OLMA – Observatório Nacional de Justiça Socioambiental Luciano Mendes de Almeida | Brazil |
| Operação Amazônia Nativa | Brazil |
| REBRİP- Rede Brasileira pela İntegração dos Povos | Brazil |
| Rede Jubileu Sul | Brazil |
| Slow Food Brasil | Brazil |
| Tribunal Populr | Brazil |
| Za Zemiata – Friends of the Earth Bulgaria | Bulgaria |
| Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine – CDHAL | Canada |
| Lafede.cat – Organitzacions per a la Justícia Global | Catalunya |
| Plataforma Chile mejor sin TLC | Chile |
| Coordinación social y política Marcha Patriótica | Colombia |
| Marcha Patriotica | Colombia |
| Proceso de Comunidades Negras | Colombia |
| Zelena akcija / Friends of the Earth Croatia | Croatia |
| Friends of the Earth Cyprus | Cyprus |
| Ekumenicka akademie | Czech Republic |
| Global Aktion | Denmark |
| NOAH – Friends of the Earth | Denmark |
| Verdens Skove | Denmark |
| Oficina de Derechos de la Nauraleza | Ecuador |
| Colectiva Feminista para el Desarrollo Local | El Salvador |
| Fundación de e Estudios para la Aplicación del Derecho -FESPAD | El Salvador |
| Fundación de Estudios para la Aplicación del Derecho -FESPAD- | El Salvador |
| Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland | England, Wales and Northern Ireland |
| Estonian Forest Aid (Eesti Metsa Abiks) | Estonia |
| Estonian Society for Nature Conservation | Estonia |
| Friends of the Earth Finland | Finland |
| Friends of the Landless | Finland |
| TTIP Network Finland | Finland |
| ActionAid France | France |
| Aitec | France |
| alofa tuvalu | France |
| AMAR Brasil | France |
| Attac France | France |
| Bloom | France |
| cedetim/ipam | France |
| collectif anti ogm 66 | France |
| Collectif Causse Méjean – Gaz de Schiste NON ! | France |
| Collectif Stop TAFTA / CETA | France |
| Comité Pauvreté et Politique | France |
| Commitee in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples of the Americas (CSIA-Nitassinan) | France |
| Confederation paysanne | France |
| Confédération Paysanne Tarn | France |
| Emmaüs International | France |
| FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights) | France |
| France Amerique Latine | France |
| France Nature Environnement | France |
| LDH pays Rochefortais | France |
| Le Lien 26 | France |
| Les Amis de la Terre (Friends of the Earth France) | France |
| Les Amis du Monde Diplomatique | France |
| Les Amis du Mouvement des Sans Terre | France |
| MNLE | France |
| Parents For Future France | France |
| ReAct | France |
| Réseau européen pour la Démocratie au Brésil (RED.br) | France |
| réseau Roosevelt | France |
| Sherpa | France |
| Radio Latina | France |
| tu | France |
| Bizi! | France / Basque country |
| AG Recife e.V. | Germany |
| Agrar Koordination | Germany |
| Agrecol e.V. | Germany |
| Andy Gheorghiu Consulting | Germany |
| ARA e.V. | Germany |
| Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft (AbL) | Germany |
| Attac Germany | Germany |
| Bischöfliches Hilfswerk MISEREOR | Germany |
| Brasiliengruppe Tübingen | Germany |
| Brasilieninitiative Freiburg e.V. | Germany |
| Brasiliennetzwerk Niedersachsen | Germany |
| Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) / Friends of the Earth Germany | Germany |
| BUND Laichingen | Germany |
| Campact | Germany |
| Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren | Germany |
| DEAB e.V. | Germany |
| Die AnStifter | Germany |
| Die AnStifter Stuttgart | Germany |
| Dona Flor e.V. | Germany |
| Eine-Welt-Verein Pachamama Stuttgart | Germany |
| Elternseminar Stuttgart | Germany |
| Erich Fromm Institute Tuebingen | Germany |
| FDCL – Center for Research and Documentation Chile-Latin America | Germany |
| FIAN Deutschland | Germany |
| Forum Ökologie & Papier | Germany |
| GegenStrömung – CounterCurrent | Germany |
| Gentechnikfrei21.de | Germany |
| German NGO Forum on Environment and Development | Germany |
| Health and Environment Justice Support International | Germany |
| Informationsbüro Nicaragua e.V. | Germany |
| Initiative kikuna e.V. – Zukunft Nachhaltig Gestalten | Germany |
| just human e.V. | Germany |
| Kaite-ZIM e. V. | Germany |
| Kölner Bündnis für gerechten Welthandel | Germany |
| Kolumbienkampagne Berlin | Germany |
| Kooperation Brasilien e.V. | Germany |
| Lernen im Aufbruch | Germany |
| mediation and project management agrobiodiversity | Germany |
| mediation and project management agrobiodiversity | Germany |
| Naturfreunde Württemberg e.V. | Germany |
| Naturschutzbund Deutschland | Germany |
| Netzwerk Gerechter Welthandel | Germany |
| Parents For Future Bensheim | Germany |
| Parents for Future Freiburg | Germany |
| Parents for Future Stuttgart | Germany |
| People for Future Frankfurt | Germany |
| POEMA – Armut und Umwelt in Amazonien | Germany |
| PowerShift e.V. | Germany |
| Pro REGENWALD | Germany |
| ROBIN WOOD | Germany |
| Save Our Seeds | Germany |
| Society for Threatened Peoples | Germany |
| Stiftung Solidarische Welt – Berta Kühnle | Germany |
| Verein für eine gerechte Welt e.V. | Germany |
| WEED – World Economy, Ecology & Development | Germany |
| Welthaus Fürth | Germany |
| Weltladen Rottenburg | Germany |
| Weltladen-Dachverband e.V. | Germany |
| Women Engage for a Common Future | Germany |
| Wuppertaler Aktionsbündnis gegen TTIP und andere Freihandelsfallen | Germany |
| Energeno | Germany |
| Parents for Future Dortmund | Germany |
| Consumer association for quality of life- ekpizo | Greece |
| Asociación Comunitaria para el Desarrollo ASERJUS | Guatemala |
| Comité de Unidad Campesina | Guatemala |
| consejo de investigaciones en desarrollo | Guatemala |
| Servicios Jurídicos y Sociales, S.C. | Guatemala |
| Observatorio Sociolaboral y del Diálogo Social Ecuador | Ecuador |
| Plateforme Haïtienne de Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif | Haití |
| DIAKONIA | Honduras |
| Clean Air Action Group | Hungary |
| Magyar Természetvédők Szövetsége (Friends of the Earth Hungary) | Hungary |
| My Right To Breathe | India |
| An Claíomh Glas | Ireland |
| forest friends ireland | Ireland |
| Guarani-Kaiowa Solidarity Ireland | Ireland |
| Icsa | Ireland |
| Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers’ Association | Ireland |
| Latin America Solidarity Centre | Ireland |
| Leave No Trace Ireland | Ireland |
| Peoples Movement – Gluaiseacht an Phobail | Ireland |
| Radio Latina | Ireland |
| ZWAI | Ireland |
| Stop Ceta Alliance | Ireland |
| Fair watch | Italy |
| Parents For Future – Turin | Italy |
| Stop TTIP Italia | Italy |
| ASTM (Action Solidarité Tiers Monde) | Luxembourg |
| Bio-Lëtzebuerg asbl | Luxembourg |
| Mouvement Ecologique | Luxembourg |
| natur&ëmwelt a.s.b.l. | Luxembourg |
| Nature Trust – FEE Malta | Malta |
| Unam | Mexico |
| Red Mexicana de Acción frente al libre Comercio | Mexico |
| Heñói | Paraguay |
| Federacion por la Autodeterminacion de los Pueblos Indigenas – FAPI | Paraguay |
| Derecho Ambiente y Recursos Naturales DAR | Peru |
| Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (APRODEH) | Peru |
| CooperAcción | Peru |
| La Junta | Peru |
| Movimiento Nacional de Mujeres Todas Somos Micaela | Peru |
| Red Peruana por una Globalización con Equidad – RedGE | Peru |
| Red Peruana por una Globalización con Equidad RedGE | Peru |
| Federación de Trabajadores del Agua Potable del Perú – FENTAP- | Peru |
| Institute of Global Responsibility (IGO) | Poland |
| ROZRUCH | Poland |
| Associação de Combate à Precariedade – Precários Inflexíveis | Portugal |
| Circo de Sonho | Portugal |
| Climáximo | Portugal |
| Corporations- Zero Tolerance | Portugal |
| GEOTA | Portugal |
| Glocal Faro | Portugal |
| Glocal Faro | Portugal |
| Mafra sem Glifosato | Portugal |
| MAPA – Movimento de Acção Política | Portugal |
| Palombar – Associação de Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural | Portugal |
| Parents For Future Portugal | Portugal |
| plataforma algarve livre de petroleo | Portugal |
| plataforma algarve livre de petroleo | Portugal |
| Porto Sem OGM | Portugal |
| Quercus, Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza | Portugal |
| SOS Racismo Portugal | Portugal |
| Teachers for Future | Portugal |
| TROCA- Plataforma por um Comércio Internacional Justo | Portugal |
| ZERO – Association for the Sustainability of the Earth System | Portugal |
| Friends of the Siberian Forests | Russia |
| Slow food Salvador | Salvador |
| ALTERNATIVA REPUBLICANA | Spain |
| Amigas de la Tierra | Spain |
| Amigos de la Tierra | Spain |
| ASiA- Associació Salut i Agroecologia | Spain |
| Attac Spain | Spain |
| Campanya Catalunya No als TCI | Spain |
| COAG | Spain |
| Col.lectiu Agudells | Spain |
| CONGD-IB | Spain |
| DES DE BAIX (Asociación para el debate y la Acción Ciudadana) | Spain |
| Ecologistas en Acción | Spain |
| Ecologistes en Acció Catalunya | Spain |
| Economistas sin Fronteras | Spain |
| Enginyeria Sense Fronteres | Spain |
| Entrepueblos/Entrepobles/Entrepobos/Herriarte | Spain |
| Iniciativa Cambio Personal Justicia Global | Spain |
| INTUMA SL | Spain |
| ISCOD – Instituto Sindical de Cooperación al desarrollo de UGT | Spain |
| Marxa Mundial de Dones-Catalunya | Spain |
| Observatorio de Multinacionales en América Latina – Paz con Dignidad | Spain |
| Podemos Centro | Spain |
| SETEM Catalunya | Spain |
| SOLdePaz.Pachakuti | Spain |
| SUDS | Spain |
| UGT | Spain |
| FIAN Sweden | Sweden |
| FIAN Sweden | Sweden |
| Jordens Vanner | Sweden |
| Latinamerikagrupperna // Solidaridad Suecia-América Latina (SAL) | Sweden |
| Parents For Future Sweden | Sweden |
| Bruno Manser Fund | Switzerland |
| Centre for Developmet and Environment, University of Bern | Switzerland |
| Pro Natura / Friends of the Earth Switzerland | Switzerland |
| Solifonds | Switzerland |
| Arisa | The Netherlands |
| Both ENDS | The Netherlands |
| Commons Network | The Netherlands |
| La Chispa, digitaal platform over Latijns Amerika | The Netherlands |
| Milieudefensie – Friends of the Earth Netherlands | The Netherlands |
| Platform Aarde Boer Consument | The Netherlands |
| Platform Duurzame en Solidaire Economie | The Netherlands |
| SOMO | The Netherlands |
| Transnational Institute | The Netherlands |
| Vrijschrift | The Netherlands |
| Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom dutch section | The Netherlands |
| Banana Link | United Kingdom |
| CORE Coalition | United Kingdom |
| EcoNexus | United Kingdom |
| Farms not Factories | United Kingdom |
| Global Justice Now | United Kingdom |
| Globalizations journal | United Kingdom |
| Health and Trade Network | United Kingdom |
| Health and Trade Network | United Kingdom |
| London Mining Network | United Kingdom |
| Parents For Future UK | United Kingdom |
| Traidcraft Exchange | United Kingdom |
| War on Want | United Kingdom |
| Rethinking Value Chains | United Kingdom / France |
| Forest Peoples Programme | United Kingdom and the Netherlands |
| REDES-Amigos del Tierra (FoE) Uruguay | Uruguay |
| Mighty Earth | USA |
Photo credit : CIFOR – Mato Grosso, Brazil / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
