Free-trade agreements that the European Union (EU) signed recently with eight Latin American countries are expected to stimulate economic growth, but green advocates warn they’ll also permit unrestrained resource extraction and tax fragile ecosystems. The agreements, which the EU signed on June 26 with Colombia and Peru and on June 29 with all Central America nations but Belize, will remove tariffs on the vast majority of goods traded between Europe and the participating Latin nations. They will liberalize capital flows and strengthen investment guarantees. But they also will boost activity in mining, other extractive industries and biofuels without creating new safeguards, environmentalists say, adding that as a result, the accords will threaten biodiversity and water quality. “These agreements promote extractive industries without strengthening the... [Log in to read more]