13 Amendments of Reimer BÖGE related to 2017/2036(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that EU-Cuban relations, especially in the area of bilateral trade, take a new start with the signing of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), which by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; notes that the PDCA as the first ever agreement between the EU and Cuba constitutes the new legal framework for these relations, comprising a chapter on trade and trade cooperation; underlines that the agreement can provide new possibilities and commitments for both signatories;
Amendment 6 #
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 the European Parliament has granted its consent; calls for this practice to be continued and extended to include all international agreements related to EU External Action; on the Council, the Commission and the EEAS to continue and extend this practice to all international agreements related to the EU's External Action when trade aspects are concerned as it is the case with the PDCA; strongly encourages the negotiators under Paragraph 40 of the Inter-Institutional Agreement on Better Law Making to agree on this best general practice of refraining from provisional application until Parliament has granted its consent to international agreements and seek the full respect of Parliament's rights and prerogatives throughout the whole life-cycle of international agreements as regards inter-institutional cooperation and information sharing;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Points out that there are inconsistencies between the Cuban Constitution and the principles established in the Article 1 of the PDCA;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. PNotes that the EU is Cuba's main export and second trade partner as well as the biggest foreign investor; points out that the EU foreign trade policy does not provide any trade preferences for Cuba, and that Cuba was removed from the list of countries benefiting from the EU’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)EU tariff rates apply as notified by the World Trade Organisation (WTO); notes furthermore that Cuba was removed from the list of GSP beneficiaries given that not all eligibility criteria were fulfilled any longer, thus having a considerable impact on its exports;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. To explore future possibilities to integrate Cuba to the EU-CARIFORUM- EPA, which contains a lot of specific and useful trade cooperation chapters and would offer Cuba the possibility of further regional integration;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Takes note that Cuba is a member of the WTO and therefor emphasises that basic principles of the World Trade Organization must be respected. (Such as trade facilitation, agreements on trade barriers, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade defence instruments);
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the need to modernise the Cuban economic system with regard to trade liberalisation, foreign direct investment, diversification of exports, economic and financial investments, technological innovation and overall market freedoms, enabling the country to overcome the limitations in the provision of goods and services as well as bringing a progressive move towards free social spaces, coexistence, technology and communication that the Cuban population appreciate and demand; emphasises the importance of the cuentapropistas, and of private initiatives, for the Cuban economy and agricultural sector;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the measures that the Cuban authorities have adopted in recent months to encourage free enterprise and economic liberalisation in general; while emphasising that the development of strong foreign investment to improve the physical and technological infrastructure of the country and build a competitive Cuban production system will require many other economic and financial measures with regulations that give legal certainty and economic stability to the country;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises the growing importance of Foreign Direct Investments, especially in the area of sustainable energy production, for the Cuban economy and economical changes; underlines moreover the importance of the "Cuentapropistas" who have proven the importance of private engagement in all sectors of local economy in Cuba; recalls at the same time the difficulties for European small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to sustain solid financing of projects because of the US- embargo and the 51 % rule of the shares of joint ventures by the Cuban government; calls for strategies that foster European private-sector contribution in Cuba to develop local SMEs;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly calls on Cuba to ratify and comply with the regulations of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and to proscribe all forms of labour exploitation, in particular wage confiscation; is highly concerned about the current situation of workers in Cuba and the breach of WTO and ILO conventions; in particular wage confiscation, being a widespread and systematic practice of the Cuban State for instance in the field of foreign investment; is highly concerned about the current situation of workers in Cuba and the breach of WTO and ILO- conventions, especially in the area of tourism industry; notes with concern the current practice by which Cuban workers can only be employed through Cuban state-owned working agencies entailing a number of negative consequences for workers and foreign companies;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls the Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) for Cuba 2014-2020 and its importance for the process of reforms as well as sustainable economic and social development; highlights that also all parts of the rural society in Cuba should benefit from the earmarked 50 Million EU funds for the agricultural sector given that the Cuban agricultural productivity still remains low;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the ongoing hHuman rRights dDialogue in the frame of the PDCA, but deplores the insufficient inclusion of civil society; calls on Cuba to ensure the establishment of a transparent and binding roadmap on human, environmental and labour rights, which should be aimed essentially at safeguarding human rights, enhancing and improving trade unionists’' rights and protecting the environment; calls for immediate tangible improvementsenvironment; suggests that the roadmap particularly takes into account clear and verifiable steps to strengthen social dialogue at regional and local level as well as on the part of enterprises, the effective enforcement and implementation of legislation and policy measures guaranteeing the freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively without loopholes and the conduction of strict labour inspections which lead to penalties in the case of discrimination, non-justified dismissals, intimidation or threats against workers; calls for immediate tangible improvements at least with regard to some targets of this roadmap, in particular regarding human and labour rights, to facilitate the European Parliament’'s consent.;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls also on European companies operating in Cuba to apply the same labour and ethical standards required in their countries of origin, especially those that receive credits or any financial assistance of public origin;