Activities of Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO related to 2017/2036(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION containing a motion for a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Cuba, of the other part
Amendments (13)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. AcknowledgesWelcomes the fact that EU-Cuban relations, especiallyalso in the area of bilateral trade, take a new start with the signing of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), which can provide new possibilities and commitments for both signatories; points out that, 22 Member States have signed bilateral agreements with Cuba despite the enforcement of the Common Position 1996;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that the PDCA is not yet being applied provisionally; supports the longstanding practice of not applying the trade and investment provisions of politically important agreements provisionally before, despite being signed in December 2016, will be applied provisionally only when the European Parliament has grantediven its consent; calls for this practice to be continued and extended to include all international agreements related to EU External Action;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that EU foreign trade policy does not provide any trade preferences for Cuba, and that Cuba was removed from the list of countries benefi; recalls that as a result of the reform of the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), from January 2014, Cuba lost its trade preferences for exporting fromto the EU’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), given Cuba is classified as an Upper-Middle- Income Country;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Highlights that trade and trade cooperation pillar of the PDCA does not provide any trade preferences for Cuba; recalls that this pillar covers customs cooperation, trade facilitation, intellectual property, SPS measures, technical barriers to trade, traditional and artisanal goods, trade and sustainable development, cooperation regarding trade defence, rules of origin and investment;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on Cuba to ratify the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement that has entered into force in February 2017; welcomes the creation of the Trade Facilitation Committee in the country and, in this sense, asks the EC and EEAS to provide technical support;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Points out that customs cooperation is a crucial area to be developed in order to address important challenges such as border security, public health, the protection of geographical indications, fight against counterfeit goods as well as against terrorism, among others; calls on the EC and the EEAS to provide technical and financial assistance and to establish bilateral instruments by mutual agreement to help Cuba's implementation of trade facilitation measures and information services;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Points out that EU cooperation with Cuba resumed in 2008 and it is covered by the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI); notes that EU financial support has already been allocated to sectors that respond to national priorities such as support to sustainable economic and social modernisation and other support measures; takes note that Cuba also participates into regional programs such as Al-Invest (covering the internationalisation of SMEs); calls on the European Commission to report on the on-going projects and to share relevant information with the EP at all stages of the procedure;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3e. Notes that Cuba is listed as potential beneficiary under the European Investment Bank External Lending Mandate; calls for an opening for the extension of the mandate to Cuba as this would be another concrete signal of EU´s developing relationship and could make a strategic contribution to Cuba's support to sustainable economic and social modernisation;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the needAcknowledges the will of Cuban authorities to modernise their Cuban economic system with regard to trade liberalisation, foreign direct investment, diversification of exports, economic and financial investments, technological innovation and overall market freedoms; emphasises the importance of the cuentapropistas, and while assuring high labour and social standards; emphasises the importance of private initiatives, for the Cuban economy and agricultural sector; calls on the cooperation subcommittees to be established to analyse the potential actions to be taken and ask the EC and the EEAS to inform regularly the EP on the initiatives on this regard;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note ofWelcomes the measures that the Cuban authorities have adopted in recent months tofor the development of their sustainable economy and social modernization, including the encouragement of free enterprise and economic liberalisation in generalzation in general; recalls that one of the overarching objectives of the PDCA is to supporting the diversification of the Cuban economy and the promotion of an appropriate business climate and entrepreneurship;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly calls on CubaWelcomes the fact that Cuba has ratified all 8 ILO core conventions; calls on Cuba and all countries it holds or negotiates agreements with to ratify and comply with the regulations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Decent Work Agenda, and to proscribe all forms of labour exploitation, in particularcluding wage confiscation; is highly concern this sense, stresses that all workers need about the current situation of workers in Cuba and the breach of WTO andto enjoy a core set of labour rights as well as adequate social protection in line with the ILO conventions;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the ongoing human rights dialogue in the frame of the PDCA, but depland the explicit mention of civil society as an actor of cooperation in the frame of the PDCA which was launched in 2015, befores the insufficient inclusion of civil society; calls on Cuba to ensure the establishment of a transparent and binding roadmap onsignature of the agreement; believes that this is the most appropriate framework to ensure the development and monitoring of human, environmental and labour rights, which should be aimed essentially at safeguarding human rights, enhancing and improving trade unionists’ rights and protecting the environment; recalls for immediatthat with the stangible improvements to facilitate the European Parliament’s consent.rt of the provisional application of the PDCA Cuba will engage for the first time in cooperation under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Highlights that the PDCA includes a provision for suspension of the agreement in case of violation of the provisions on human rights;