Europa Global: los verdaderos intereses de la estrategia comercial de la UE para someter a los pueblos a la tiranía del “libre comercio”

The report analyzes the 'Global Europe' strategy as a political and economic tool used by the EU to secure access to raw materials, energy reserves, and open markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It argues that 'Association Agreements' go beyond trade in goods to include the liberalization of services, investments, and government procurement, which the author claims undermines the sovereignty of developing nations. The document highlights specific negative impacts, such as the promotion of agrofuels in Central America, the pressure on African nations to sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to maintain tariff preferences, and the role of European financial institutions like the European Investment Bank in funding extractive projects. It concludes that the strategy prioritizes corporate competitiveness over human rights and environmental sustainability.

• The 'Global Europe' strategy is described as a political and economic agenda designed to increase the competitiveness of European companies by securing access to strategic natural resources, including minerals, oil, energy, biodiversity, and water.
• The EU's 'Raw Materials Initiative', launched in November 2008, aims to minimize the risk of supply shortages for European industries (such as chemical, pharmaceutical, and automotive) by removing trade barriers in the Global South.
• In Africa, the EU has used the expiration of tariff preferences under the Cotonou Agreement to pressure countries into signing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which require the opening of services, investments, and government procurement sectors.
• The Association Agreement between the EU and Central American countries is argued to threaten food sovereignty by favoring agro-exporting oligarchies and promoting monocultures like oil palm and sugarcane for agrofuels.
• The EU's push for 'flexible' Rules of Origin for coffee and sugar in Central America is viewed as a way for the EU to import raw materials from third countries, process them in Europe, and then export them back to the region with tariff benefits.
• European financial institutions, specifically the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), are cited as providing the capital necessary for European companies to execute extractive and infrastructure projects in Latin America and Africa.
• The report claims that the EU's trade strategy in the Caribbean, signed in October 2008, was conducted under coercion, with some countries like Guyana fearing the total opening of their fragile economies.
• In Asia, the EU is pursuing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with India and South Korea, and is attempting to move from a block-to-block negotiation with ASEAN to bilateral agreements with countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

APA

valdomir, S. (2008). Europa Global: los verdaderos intereses de la estrategia comercial de la UE para someter a los pueblos a la tiranía del “libre comercio”. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Redes-Marzo_09_baja-resolucion.pdf

Chicago

valdomir, sebastián. Europa Global: los verdaderos intereses de la estrategia comercial de la UE para someter a los pueblos a la tiranía del “libre comercio”. Friends of the Earth International, 2008. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Redes-Marzo_09_baja-resolucion.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=valdomir |first1=sebastián |title=Europa Global: los verdaderos intereses de la estrategia comercial de la UE para someter a los pueblos a la tiranía del “libre comercio” |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=December 2008 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Redes-Marzo_09_baja-resolucion.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{valdomir2008europa, author = {valdomir, sebastián}, title = {{Europa Global: los verdaderos intereses de la estrategia comercial de la UE para someter a los pueblos a la tiranía del “libre comercio”}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2008}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Redes-Marzo_09_baja-resolucion.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }