The objectives of Commissioner Sinkevičius' mission were threefold:

1. to reaffirm the EU's commitment to support the Lula administration,
2. to revitalise the EU-Brazil environmental dialogue, and
3. to foster cooperation on priority areas such as biodiversity, deforestation-free supply chains, circular economy and plastics.

During his visit to Brasilia, Commissioner Sinkevičius held meetings with a prominent line-up of ministerial counterparts, including the Vice President and Minister of Industry, Minister of Environment, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Fisheries, and President of the National Development Bank (BNDES). The Commissioner also engaged with Ambassadors of EU Member States and like-minded countries, underscoring the importance of the Team Europe approach.

In Rio de Janeiro, Commissioner Sinkevičius seized the opportunity to connect with the State and the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, as well as with the local business community. The highlight of his visit was the launch of the EU-Brazil Roadshow on Circular Economy Solutions, which attracted significant interest from representatives of the private sector, business associations, think tanks, NGOs and practitioners. In the framework of this activity, he also visited the pilot project funded by the EU for the “Circular Beach” in Copacabana.

Throughout his mission, Commissioner Sinkevičius conveyed key messages regarding the EU's unwavering support for Brazilian democracy and the ambitious climate and environmental agenda of the Lula administration. He also emphasised the EU's interest in reactivating the EU-Brazil strategic partnership and expanding cooperation across various domains, starting with environment and climate change.

An essential outcome of the mission was the advancement towards establishing a Ministerial "EU-Brazil High Level Climate and Environment Dialogue." Following up on Executive Vice President Timmermans' proposal, Commissioner Sinkevičius gained momentum to validate Brazil's interest and work towards the creation of terms of reference for the Dialogue. The official announcement of this new mechanism is expected during President von der Leyen's visit to Brazil in June.

Deforestation was another crucial issue discussed during the mission. Commissioner Sinkevičius expressed full support for the Brazilian government's commitment to reduce deforestation, while highlighting the EU's deforestation regulation and its positive impact on sustainable producers. The Brazilian counterparts underscored their dedication to combating illegal deforestation, including measures such as reviving the Amazon Fund, updating the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon, and strengthening enforcement agencies.

As regards biodiversity, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, expressed the full commitment of Brazil to the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the 30x30 target. The new administration is working to designate new protected areas, promote sustainable use agendas (e.g. bio-economy, alternative livelihoods, etc.), and update the map of priority areas for biodiversity protection, including 27 million hectares of additional indigenous land. The importance of restoration and localised solutions for other biomes was stressed.

With respect to COP16, Minister Silva expressed Brazil's willingness to lead by example and maintain global regulation services, leveraging its unique biodiversity for sustainable development. She highlighted the need to address Loss and Damage and called for renewed efforts to fulfil past commitments. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to collective action and pledged to work together to overcome challenges and achieve shared goals.

Discussions on ocean governance, marine biodiversity, and fisheries yielded positive outcomes during the visit. Both Minister Silva and Fisheries Minister André de Paula expressed their commitment to key priorities and maintaining close dialogue and cooperation. They affirmed their shared dedication to swiftly ratify the BBNJ agreement and highlighted the creation of a new department at the Ministry of Environment focused on marine/ocean issues.

Reaching out to the large Brazilian audience

During his visit, Commissioner Sinkevičius seized the opportunity to promote the EU Green Deal and its potential benefits for Brazil in interviews with the media. He held press interviews for two major outlets, Valor Economico newspaper with the well-known journalist Daniela Chiaretti specialised in sustainability and Veja magazine. He also gave a full interview to TV Globo at their headquarters in Rio with Marcelo Lins, a respected journalist specialised in international relations.

More information:

• Joint press release
• Globo news