Description
Comprehensive trade agreements between regional groupings in Latin America and the EU have been in place since the early 2010s. These were some of the first EU agreements to incorporate dedicated chapters for trade and sustainable development that have garnered criticism due to their limited enforceability and failing to transform social and environmental circumstances on the ground. After over a decade of implementation of agreements, scholars are turning their attention to implementation processes of trade and sustainability chapters and uncovering gradual changes. This contribution leverages public documents relating to implementation committees and elite interviews to uncover the practical reality of interactions between Latin American states and the EU relating to trade and sustainability in the context of their trade agreements.
The analysis pays special attention to themes discussed, to parties raising issues and the nature of the discussions, whether this includes coercive demands for action, or adversarial exchanges. In so doing, it uncovers hierarchies of themes and action prioritization within relationships characterised by significant economic power asymmetries. The article contributes to the literature on FTA implementation and that on EU-Latin America relations. The analysis reveals that discussions and cooperation on sustainability matters, including on priorities not present when the FTAs were negotiated, help raise the level of environmental ambitions of the parties. At the same, financial constraints and EU unilateral trade measures result in different priorities for tackling these issues and tensions in the relationship.
