International Issues

Bilateral and regional cooperation

Emerging economies - Brazil

Brazil is a significant partner for the European Union

Brazil is a significant global player and a long standing partner of the EU. Diplomatic relations were established in 1960. The EU’s current relations with Brazil are based on the 1992 EC-Brazil Framework Co-operation Agreement and the 1995 EU-Mercosul Framework Co-operation Agreement. Brazil plays a leading role in regional integration both in Mercosur and South America, and is therefore a key partner in the current negotiations for an EU-Mercosur bi-regional association agreement.

Bilateral relations were strengthened in 2007 with the establishment of a first policy dialogue in Troika format to discuss issues of common concern. On 30 May 2007 the European Commission forwarded a Communication on Brazil to the Council and European Parliament recommending the launch of a strategic partnership.

http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/brazil/intro/index.htm

At the first EU-Brazil Summit in Lisbon on 4 July 2007, leaders agreed on how best to build the strategic partnership. They agreed to strengthen the sector policy dialogues, to work closer in addressing pressing global challenges, including to strengthen the multilateral climate change regime and to strive for a successful outcome at the Bali Climate Conference in December 2007. They also agreed to co-operate more closely on the conservation of biological diversity and on issues such as water management and forests. 

Brazil’s Environment

Brazil's environment is one of the richest in the world.  Brazil’s natural wealth includes the dense tropical rainforests of the Amazon (one of the world’s most biodiversity-rich ecosystems), the important biomes of the savannah-like Cerrado, the arid scrublands of the Caatinga, the Atlantic Forest, grasslands of the Pampa and the wetlands of the Pantanal. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the value of the environmental services rendered by Brazil's ecosystems (in terms of mega-biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration) is several trillion euros per year. Brazil therefore has a key and strategic role to play on a global scale, a role which the country has assumed since it is party to a number of international environmental agreements (biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, etc.) and participates actively in international conferences on the environment.

However Brazil's Amazon rainforest has been threatened by the rapid loss of biodiversity and deforestation. The Pilot Program to conserve the Brazilian Rain Forest (PPG-7) was launched in 1992 in response to this situation. The program has since been joined by several other initiatives also aimed at curbing deforestation. Currently deforestation accounts for more than 60% of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions and more than 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the Brazilian Government is actively engaged in an ambitious plan to combat deforestation.

Co-operation with Brazil in the field of Environment

Commissioner Dimas visited Brazil in March 2006 and attended the high level ministerial segment of the eighth conference of the parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.  The conference took place in Curitiba, Brazil, from 20 to 31 March. The conference adopted more than 30 decisions on a range of priority issues. For further information on the conference see: http://www.cbd.int/decisions/cop-08.shtml

In September 2006 a decision was taken to formalise the EC-Brazil bilateral environment dialogue, this new set-up would include yearly meetings to discuss issues of mutual interest. The EC-Brazil Dialogue on the Environment dimension of Sustainable Development with emphasis on Climate Change was thus launched and includes a senior level policy dialogue and a working group on climate change. The intention is that policy dialogue and working group will meet back-to-back. The next meeting is foreseen for the latter part of 2007 in Brazil.

In April 2007 the European Commission, UNEP, the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment with the support of the São Paulo State Environmental Sanitation Technology Company (CETESB), co-hosted the National Round Table on Sustainable Consumption and Production in São Paulo. The Round Table took place over two days (19-20 April) and brought together representatives from government, private sector, industrial associations forums, and civil society to exchange information on perspectives, challenges and priority issues related to sustainable consumption and production in Brazil.

Financial support for the EC-Brazil Dialogue and for other environmental initiatives and projects to strengthen co-operation will be provided through the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) during 2007-2013.

Country Strategy Paper (2007-2013)

The Country Strategy Paper provides a strategic framework for EC cooperation with Brazil during the period 2007-2013. It is the fruit of a consultation process involving stakeholders representing the State and civil society actors, particularly in Brazil. The Country Strategy Paper has two key priority areas: 1) enhancing bilateral relations and 2) promoting the environmental dimension of sustainable development.

An indicative amount of € 61 million has been allocated for co-operation with Brazil. The intention is to allocate 70% of the funds to the first priority (enhancing bilateral relations) and the remaining 30% to the second priority (promoting the environmental dimension of sustainable development). These resources may be supplemented by projects and programmes funded from thematic budget lines and those financed under the Mercosur and Latin American regional programmes.

PPG-7 - A Successful Initiative to Protect the Brazilian Forests

The Pilot Programme to protect the Brazilian rainforest was launched following the meeting of the G-7 industrial nations in Houston, Texas in 1990. Phase I began in 1992 and the first projects were approved in 1994.

The programme is a close partnership between the Brazilian government, Brazilian civil society and the international community. Implementation has proceeded through strategic partnerships involving federal, state and municipal governments, civil society organisations and the private sector. Work in these partnerships is focused around five main themes: Experimentation and demonstration; preservation of protected areas; institutional strengthening and capacity building; applied and directed scientific research; and lesson learning and dissemination.

The European Commission and Member States together have provided over 70% of the trust fund budget, and financed nearly 80% of the total programme costs.

One of PPG-7's most significant achievements has been the effective mainstreaming of large-scale forest protection and environmental management into government policy making.

The institutional strengthening is an essential part of the various projects and sub programmes of the PPG-7. This is most notably the case for the Natural Resources Policy Project (NRPP), the largest of all PPG-7 projects. The NRPP project has broken new ground with the implementation of a system of environmental monitoring of land use in the state of Mato Grosso. The project has enabled the state-wide implementation of a satellite based, ground verifiable environmental licensing system for all rural properties. Licensing for land use is now dependent on an assessment of both historical and projected deforestation figures for each property. As a result of the success of the licensing system, other Amazonian states are preparing to implement it.

The Pilot Programme's first phase is now coming to a close.  The programme has successfully demonstrated that sustainable development and conservation can be achieved simultaneously in tropical forests.

For further information on the EU's relations with Brazil see: http://www.delbra.ec.europa.eu/