The climate impact of the EU trade agreement with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador
Power Shift | 28 March 2025
The climate impact of the EU trade agreement with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador
The trade agreement between the European
Union (EU), Colombia, and Peru was signed
in 2012 and provisionally entered into force
in 2013, with Ecuador subsequently joining
in 2017. The agreement has been fully imple-
mented since 1 November 2024 – after the
conclusion of the EU’s ratification process
in October 2024. However, the overwhelm-
ing majority of its clauses have been applied
since 2013 and 2017, respectively.
The agreement was promoted as provid-
ing the means to deepen trade relations
and stimulate economic growth, while also
upholding high environmental and social
standards. The EU particularly emphasised
the Trade and Sustainable Development
(TSD) Chapter, which it said would ensure
that economic benefits did not come at the
cost of environmental degradation. However,
PowerShift’s ex-post evaluation shows that
instead of supporting sustainable develop-
ment, the agreement has primarily facilitated
trade in environmentally harmful goods, and
has also failed to introduce effective mecha-
nisms to address sustainability challenges.
