Lula da Silva to discuss new European demands for a trade deal with Macron

Brazilian President Lula da Silva said on Monday he would take advantage of his meeting next Thursday with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss European Union (EU) environmental demands in talks with MERCOSUR.

“I’m going to have lunch with Macron and I want to discuss with Macron the issue of the French Parliament, which approved the tightening of the Mercosur-European Union agreement,” Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on his weekly social media program. and on TV Brazil

The Brazilian leader will meet Emmanuel Macron as part of a European tour starting this Monday, during which he will also meet Pope Francis and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

Lula da Silva has in recent days criticized an additional tool proposed by the EU to condition a free trade agreement with Mercosur on environmental and climate guarantees.

Criticism was voiced after the adoption in Europe of legislation prohibiting the import of products from deforested territories.

The Brazilian President specifically referred to a resolution passed last week by the French National Assembly against ratifying the free trade agreement until MERCOSUR meets the same health and environmental requirements as the EU.

“The European Union cannot try to threaten MERCOSUR, to punish MERCOSUR if it does not do one thing or another. If we’re strategic partners, you don’t need to threaten. I’m going to discuss this a lot with the President of France,” Lula da Silva said.

Last week, at a meeting in Brasilia with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Lula da Silva had already criticized the new European demands and warned that “mutual trust, not mistrust and sanctions” should exist between strategic partners.