The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack Mercosur and the Simplification Scam
Nov 3, 2025
In this episode, MEP Lynn Boylan, a champion for trade justice, dives into the renewed threats posed by the Mercosur trade deal. She warns how 'simplification' often masks deregulation that harms worker and environmental protections. Lynn highlights major concerns, including deforestation, food safety, and human rights violations related to the deal. She also emphasizes the need for public scrutiny and solidarity among civil society to resist rollbacks in regulations, underscoring the urgent call for fairness in trade practices.
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Tariff Wars Used To Justify Fast-Tracking Deals
- Lynn Boylan recounts how Trump's tariff war created an excuse to fast-track contentious EU trade deals.
- She explains the Commission and Irish government cited diversification and competitiveness to justify Mercosur and CETA.
Join The Nov 6 Trade Justice Event
- Attend the Trade Justice event on Nov 6 to learn and organise; register on Eventbrite.
- Use the event to spotlight Mercosur, CETA and other EU trade deals being rushed under simplification arguments.
Mercosur's Environmental And Health Risks
- Mercosur raises big environmental and food-safety concerns, especially linked to Amazon deforestation and lower production standards.
- Lynn Boylan warns imported beef and leather may come from land seized from indigenous communities and use banned chemicals or hormones.
